


Room for Rent !!NOT A JOKE. REAL INQUIRIES ONLY!!

by forceofduality



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Blowjobs, Cum Eating, Double Penetration, Enjoy!, Established Relationship, F/M, Hand Jobs, Kylo Ren/Ben Solo - Freeform, M/M, Male on Male, Roommates, Shower Sex, Threesome - F/M/M, Time Jump, Twincest, Vaginal Fingering, Voyeurism, also benlo, and filth, ben and kylo are rich bois, ben and kylo must hide their relationship, ben/rey/kylo, breylo - Freeform, dp, kylo is mischievous as always, m/m - Freeform, rey is a poor girl, rey likes what she sees, rey stumbles upon a scene she never expected, rey takes a joke seriously, taboo relationship, this fic has plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-01-30 03:47:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21421675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forceofduality/pseuds/forceofduality
Summary: [COMPLETE] Kylo posts a Craigslist ad to rent out his guest room for $500 a month. Yes, in Manhattan. No, Ben is not pleased.Until Rey, a surprisingly not-crazy-looking applicant, shows up to their door. She thinks she’s landed a great deal at the cost of a couple bickering brothers, but slowly discovers their relationship is more complicated than it seems.
Relationships: Kylo Ren - Relationship, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 88
Kudos: 527





	1. Chapter 1 - [Filter Applied: <$500]

_"Your account balance is six hundred, fifty-eight dollars and twenty-one cents. For more information, login to the—” _

Rey hit the 'End Call' button and groaned. A few customers at the run-down diner tossed her sidelong glances, and she sunk deeper into the booth. She nursed the chicken noodle soup in front of her a bit more carefully, took a long sip of her water, and stashed the saltines in her thrift-store acquired backpack.

She needed to find a place to live. Fast. The seedy motel she called home was hemorrhaging money out of her checking account, and her part-time job at the reception desk of a local art museum wasn't paying nearly enough to make up the difference. Now that she’d paid her start of term tuition fee, the only money she had to her name had just been relayed to her by a robot.

If she didn’t find somewhere to live soon, she’d end up sleeping under a desk in the university library.

Biting her lip, she crossed her fingers and hopped onto Cragslist. When applying filters, she selected [<$500], snorting. As if…

Hitting ‘search’, she waited for the error message ‘_ Sorry, we couldn’t find any results. Try expanding your search.’ _

She watched the page load, sitting straighter in her seat when a listing popped up.

> ** _Room for Rent !!NOT A JOKE. REAL INQUIRIES ONLY!!_ **

She clicked the link. As her eyes scanned its contents, they grew wider and wider. Scrolling back up to the top of the listing, she read it again, slower this time.

_ Two brothers, 29, looking for a roommate for the third bedroom of their apartment on 7 East 7th St. East Village. Roommate would have their own bedroom and bathroom. 132 square feet in a 1,200 SF apartment. Rent is $500 a month, due at the first of the month (includes utilities). Room is furnished with bed, side tables, rug, and lamp. Serious applicants only!! _

Under the description was a bubble where the lister had requested that interested applicants come to the apartment anytime between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. _ today _. Right above the address were pictures of the exterior of the building, the kitchen, living room, and the room for rent. Everything seemed to be in peak condition. 

But where was the catch?

There was no _ bloody _ way that a room of that size, furnished, in that location was being rented out for only _ five hundred goddamn dollars _ a month. This had to be some sort of trap, or scam, or... Something.

Under normal circumstances, she would have passed by a listing like that with a scoff. But... It was _ too _ perfect. The location was on the same street as her university! Even if there was a 95% chance this was a scam, she _ had _ to take a chance. The second a red flag popped up, she’d be out of there.

Checking her watch, she saw it was already 2:46 p.m. The flat was about a half hour away. She'd need to hustle, though a sinking feeling told her someone else had probably been chosen already. 

Still, she had to try.

Racing to the subway, she endured the smelly, crowded ride as nervous energy licked at her bones. Each minute passed with excruciatingly slowness until, finally, she stood at the door. Raising a tentative hand, she knocked three times.

* * *

_ "What have you done?" _

"Hello to you too," Kylo snorted as he pushed past his brother to step into their apartment. Ben followed after him into the kitchen, where Kylo searched for his usual after-work drink. 

"Three people stopped by. Three _ very weird _ people," Ben said, crossing his arms. 

"Aw, I missed it?" Kylo glanced back at him with an exaggerated pout before grabbing the boxed wine from the fridge, along with a coffee mug to pour it in. 

"They said we were renting a room for _ five hundred _ dollars a month! Do you realize where we live? Even if we'd agreed to get a roommate, what the hell were you--"

"Relax! We're not _ actually _ getting a roommate.” Kylo leaned against the counter as he faced his twin. "It’s just the guest room's been empty since we moved here, and I thought it'd be funny to post a stupidly cheap offer and see who showed." 

"You thought it'd be funny," Ben deadpanned. 

"Yeah. Make you laugh, you know," Kylo's eyes shifted as he cleared his throat. "You haven't exactly been the same, since--”

"You thought inviting _ strangers _ to our home would cheer me up?" 

Kylo shrugged, and Ben rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help but crack a smile as moment from a few hours ago came back to him. 

"Okay, one of them _ was _ pretty funny," he admitted with a snort. "Looked like she slept on the subway rails...oh, and she reeked of rubbing alcohol. When I said she had the wrong place, she thought that meant 'blow me'."

Kylo almost choked on his laughter. 

"Seriously? Oh man, I wish I could've seen that...but hey, who are you to turn anyone down, even if she does look like roadkill--"

"Oh, fuck off..."

Three knocks echoed through the apartment, and both twin's heads turned sharply to the door. A grin overtook Kylo’s expression as he rushed to answer it. 

"Are you here for the listing?" he asked before the door was fully open. 

Ben caught up just in time to see a _ striking _ young woman. Oh God, if only. She had to be lost, or selling something. Girls who looked like _ this _ rented upscale studio apartments or roomed with their bougie friends, not with strange, sketchy men posting ads that were obviously too good to be true.

Or so he thought. 

"Um, yeah. I'm Rey. I take it that, uh, the room is still available?" she asked, adjusting the strap of her bag and shuffling her feet.

While Ben’s jaw hung open, Kylo raked his eyes up and down her form, in as much if not more disbelief than his brother. 

"Uh...yeah, yeah it is,” he said without hesitation. Ben shot him a look, which was promptly ignored. After a long, awkward pause, he remembered his manners, and held out his hand to shake Rey’s.

"Nice to meet you, Rey. I'm Ben, this is Kylo.” 

His insides twisted as she shook his hand, but he tried not to let it show. Until about thirty seconds ago, he would've said _ absolutely not _ to the prospect of rooming with anyone other than his brother, not unless they paid top dollar. Even Kylo was too much most of the time. But Ben had never thought a single, _ decent _woman would show up on their doorstep looking for a place to stay. 

Maybe it was shallow. Maybe it was her lack of trackmarks, or her accent, or her adorable hairstyle. But knowing she was desperate enough to risk such a sketchy offer made him more sympathetic than suspicious. 

Stepping back, he motioned for her to come inside, tugging his brother back by the collar when he didn't move. Kylo choked a bit, spinning on his heel to glare at Ben. But as Rey stepped inside, his smile returned, and he closed the door behind her without locking it. 

Both twins watched her reaction as she took a look around. Kylo seemed completely unfazed, but Ben wrung his hands together as he eyed the overflowing trash can. 

After peeking over the kitchen, she squared her shoulders and said, "Look, if this is a scam or something, I'm not going to waste my time. I only came because it seemed too good to pass up even if there was a major chance it was a ripoff, so...you guys aren't criminals or con artists, are you?"

The brothers shared a wide-eyed glance. Ben was about to reassure her as sincerely as possible when Kylo barked out a laugh. 

“You expect criminals and con artists to tell you the truth?” he asked her, tilting his head. “Also depends on what you mean by _ criminal _...” 

She raised a brow, apparently unamused. 

“What he _ means _ to say is we can give you our word, but we kind of have to trust each other, here,” Ben said. “But don’t buy his boasting. He’s not half as much of a rebel as he thinks he is...”

A slight smirk curled Rey’s lips and she gave Kylo a once-over. "Yeah, he looks the type." 

Kylo’s smirk faded at their jabs. Before he could form a clever comeback, Rey spoke up again. 

"I have a job nearby, and I go to the University down the street. I don't have the money to give you a first and last up front, but I can give you the first month's rent and get a last month by my next paycheck, in about two weeks."

Ben listened closely and nodded.

“That’s fine with me if it’s fine with Kylo. Though, full disclosure, it _ should _ be fine with him considering he posted the ad as a joke...” Ben said through gritted teeth, side-eying his brother.

“A joke?” Rey parroted, her cheeks reddening.

"Or a social experiment, or whatever...but in any case, sounds like you need the space more than we do. That room’s just been gathering dust, so...”

"What do you guys do, anyway?” she asked. “If you're offering a room for this cheap, then I know you're not exactly looking for someone to share the burden of the rent." 

Kylo chimed in before Ben could even open his mouth. “He’s a lawyer. Boring, I know. But I’m in the entertainment industry.” 

Ben rolled his eyes. “By that, he means he pushes around set pieces all day.” 

“Hey, I build them and paint them, sometimes even design them—and I’m not going to stay backstage forever. I’ll have you know I have an audition Friday.” 

“Mmhm, and I’m sure it’ll go as well as the last ten auditions,” Ben sighed. 

If Rey could deal with this, she could deal with anything. But what did that say about him? He could’ve lived alone if he really wanted to. Instead, he willingly spent the majority of his life with his twin. Two grown brothers living together had to look strange to at least a few people...his colleagues certainly thought so. But maybe, it wouldn’t seem so weird if they shared their space with a pretty girl.

"Well, break a leg," Rey told Kylo. While his grin nearly split his face in two, she turned to Ben. "Law can be pretty interesting, I think. I'd like to hear more about it." 

Ben swallowed and nodded quickly. “Yes, absolutely, it’s uh...it’s more interesting than people think---well, some parts of it, others not so much…”

Rey rocked on her heels as she looked between them. "So, uh, when do you want me to move in? Since you're a lawyer and all, I guess you won't have too hard a time getting rental agreement papers. I can get the first $500 to you today, if you want."

Ben rubbed the back of his neck as his thoughts flew with all the papers they'd need to fill out. God, was this actually happening? He'd meant what he said, but he half expected her to change her mind once he disclosed the real purpose of the ad. 

"Uh...yeah I can get them," he said. "If you can give us the five hundred now, I guess you can move in whenever you want… though you might want to give us a day to clean--"

"Clean what?” Kylo scoffed, palms outstretched as his gaze swung about the room. “This whole place is spotless! Nothing's even in the guest room except furniture.” 

“_Dusty_ furniture,” Ben muttered.  
  
“If she's willing to pay five hundred, I don't think a little dust will kill her." 

"Everything can be a liability. Besides, it'd hardly encourage a friendly roommate relationship…” Remembering Rey, Ben stopped himself with a tight smile. He hated bickering in front of guests—but Kylo made it damn near impossible to avoid. 

"I, uh...I’d actually be happy moving in tonight, if that’s okay,” Rey said. “I'm staying in a motel right now, so I'd appreciate not having to pay for that anymore.”

“You would?” Ben’s eyes widened. He’d said she could move in today, but he didn’t think she’d accept. Alright, this was happening, no big deal…

She nodded, her cheeks glowing pink again, “I can go grab my stuff and then bring you the cash. I don't have that much to carry." 

“Sure, okay...I’ll uh...get those rental papers while you’re out.”

“You sure you don’t need help carrying anything?” Kylo asked, leaning against the doorframe. “Or a ride so you can skip the subway scum?” 

Ben bit his lip hard as a ball of jealousy formed in his gut, but he wasn’t sure who it was directed towards.

“That’s...unusually nice of you, Kylo,” he said under his breath. “But I think she’d rather not be in a car alone with _ you _....

“Why not? I’m just trying to be helpful, like you‘re always nagging me to—“ 

Rey cut him off, shaking her head. “No, thanks. Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, but uh...really, it’s not much stuff. It shouldn’t take me more than one trip.”

Kylo chewed on the inside of his lip with a curt nod, eyes dropping to the floor.

“So I’ll be back in a couple hours, then,” she said.

“See you soon.” Ben gave her little wave as she left. As soon as the door closed, he let out a deep breath, heading straight to his office to print out the papers. Halfway there, he noticed footsteps behind him. 

“What?” he sighed as he faced his brother. Kylo narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, invading his space. 

“Why are you agreeing to this so easily?” 

“It was your idea, dumbass. You posted the ad!” 

“Yeah, but...I didn’t think you’d actually want to live with anyone else...” 

“I _ didn’t _, but she needs help, and doesn’t look like she’s going to wreck the place, so she’d make a perfect cover. And besides, I didn’t see you protesting.” 

Turning on his heel, Ben took a seat at his desk to print out the rental documents, but Kylo wasn’t quite finished. 

“Just think she’d be a nice distraction, that’s all,” he huffed. “Might be nice to have a roommate who acknowledges my existence without sneering...”

Looking up sharply, Ben opened his mouth to fire back, but Kylo had already stalked off to his own room and slammed the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Jessa here! This work was made in collaboration with another writer and friend, Julia. It had been adapted from its original RP format into a story that we are excited to share with you. We are happy to say that the fic is completed, and so we will be uploading on a fixed schedule. We look forward to your feedback! Enjoy!


	2. [Filter Applied: Roommate(s) Wanted]

_ This is crazy. You’re crazy. You can’t actually be doing this. You don’t know for sure this isn’t a scam. Or some human trafficking ploy. You don’t know if they work where they say they work. You don’t even know if their names are actually Ben and Kylo! _

Those thoughts, and many more, raced through Rey’s mind the entire smelly subway ride to the motel and back. Despite her paranoia, she kept telling herself that she _ needed _ this. Ben and Kylo seemed normal enough. As for her, she was disease-free, unaddicted, as mentally sound as most could hope for, and didn't carry any baggage that would turn up at their doorstep at two in the morning. She knew she could be a good roommate. 

She would prove it. 

It took her less than fifteen minutes to pack. Her meager belongings ended up in a ratty backpack, two duffel bags and two Costco-sized plastic bags. Not wanting to face Plutt’s leer, she called the front desk to check out, and left through the back door. 

No one on the subway paid attention to the stick-thin tomboy drowning in bags. Sweat broke out on her brow as she made her way up to the flat, her new home, and her heart thundered in her ears as she approached the door. 

Praying that it would open, she knocked.

A moment passed, and then another. Her anxiety spiked, but was immediately tempered when Ben swung open the door. She could have dropped to the ground right then and there out of relief. What a cruel joke it would have been for her to bring everything all the way here to have that door stay locked.

Eyes landing on her, his lips parted in surprise. "Oh-! Shit, I should've let Kylo help you…you said it wasn't that much…can I get some of those for you?"

“Really, it’s not that much. Considering...” Considering it was her entire life on her shoulders? 

_ Just close your mouth. No need to announce what a charity case you are. _

Biting her tongue, she smiled and nodded. “That would be great, thank you.” 

Passing him the two plastic bags, her cramped fingers sung their thanks. 

As they walked inside, her eyes landed on the papers stacked on the coffee table. It was the rental agreement. Once again, a swirling concoction of disbelief and excitement welled in her chest.

Ben led the way to her room, and once he’d deposited her bags on the bed, she fished out her wallet. Pulling out five hundred dollar bills, she held them out for him. “Thank you, again. For all of this. I know it’s all happening super fast, but I really appreciate it.”

He blinked owlishly, as if he’d forgotten this was a transaction and not merely a good deed. After a moment of hesitation, he took the money and pocketed it with a faint smile. 

“It’s no problem...let me get those papers,” he said, stepping out to grab the rental agreement from the living room. 

She’d smiled and took a good look around the room. It was _ huge _ , and beautiful. Plenty of natural light shone in from the window, the closet was spacious (not that she ever expected to fill it), the bed full-sized, and the furniture looked new. Even the sheets felt luxurious, and she had to pinch her thigh through the thin material of her pants to convince herself that this was all _ real _. 

When Ben returned with the papers, he handed them over, along with a pen. 

“It's a pretty standard contract,” he said. She pretended to know exactly what was in it, though she had never seen one before. “Rent’s due the first of the month, and I’d rather you not paint or drill holes in the walls…looks like the ‘no pets’ part won’t be a problem… Oh, and no smoking—cigarettes.“ 

A smirk curled the corner of her mouth, not missing his clarification. She had recognized a familiar, _ dank _ smell as she’d passed what she assumed to be Kylo’s room. It didn’t bother her. 

“As for noise, cleaning, and so on, I think we can just discuss those things as they come up,” he said with a shrug. 

“Yeah, all sounds good to me.” 

Walking over to one of the side tables, she flipped through the contract and signed everywhere he’d marked. He took the contract when she was finished with it, flipping through quickly to make sure they didn't miss anything. 

Rocking back and forth on her heels as she waited, she said, “I can cook a bit. I’m a little out of practice, but I’ve always been good at following recipes. I’m very clean, so that won’t be a problem. I like to think I’m pretty quiet, too, so...I won’t be too much of a bother, I promise.”

His eyes raised from the pages as she spoke, looking at her under his lashes with an arched brow.

_ How can he possibly be that tall and still manage to look at me all shyly like that? _ she wondered, her lips quirking.

“Don't worry, I wouldn't have let you stay here if I thought you'd be trouble. I meant more on our end than yours,” he assured her.

A smirk appeared on her lips as she thought about how Ben had begun to make a fuss over ensuring everything was sparkly clean before she moved in, and how Kylo had protested that a bit of dust wouldn’t kill her.

"I hope you like metal. You're going to hear a lot of it," he added as an afterthought.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you were a fan.” When his brows furrowed, she grinned wide and rushed to say, “Kidding. I’m gonna guess that you’re referring to your brother’s music. Though I wouldn’t blame you for liking it. There are worse genres out there.”

Was it right to say a full-grown man who was at least a head taller than her could look cute? Probably not, but that was the only descriptor she could think of to fit the way a blush rose all the way from Ben's cheeks to the tips of his sizeable ears.

"Yeah...he hasn't quite moved past the garage band stage...even though we haven't _ had _ a garage since he was actually young enough for the angsty teen thing," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I wish I could say that I was surprised, but..." She shrugged and shook her head, grinning widely up at him. 

"I know. If there was a wiki page for what a 'garage band person' looks like, he'd be the reference picture," he muttered with a lopsided grin. "If your ears start to bleed, noise cancelling headphones help. And Mozart, at full volume."

"Mozart? Really? I’m stunned..." Her facade broke as his eyes went wide, and she reached out to gently tap his arm. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't tease you anymore."

Just as it had begun to recede, his blush flared back to life. 

"No, no, my fault for being so gullible..." he said, eyes darting every which way as a light laugh escaped him. "In any case, your teasing is much more endearing than what I usually get..."

_ Endearing _ . No one had ever called anything she did _ endearing _ in her life. It made her feel strange, but a good kind of strange, and her cheeks warmed.

Ben, on the other hand, looked mortified. "Sorry, um, I'll uh....I should let you get settled…”

She gave him a little wave as he rushed out, then looked around her room. Time to unpack, then.

* * *

Ben’s fingers shook at his sides as he strode to his room, silently berating himself the whole way. The girl had _ just _ agreed to live with them, assuming she'd be safe in their presence, and he'd gone and _ hit on her _. God. He hadn't meant to, but it still came across that way. 

The door beside Ben's cracked open just as he passed by on the way to his room. Peering out into the hall after him, Kylo narrowed his eyes, wondering what he was so flustered about. Whatever. Why should he care? Ben threw him under the bus as soon as a pretty girl showed up to make himself look better. 

Speaking of the pretty girl...how much would it piss off Ben if Rey ended up liking Kylo better, despite all of his oh-so-horrible flaws? Who'd look like the asshole then? 

Padding to the kitchen, he grabbed the mug of wine he'd forgotten on the counter and chugged it, then dug in the fridge for a bottle of Guinness. He didn't pop it open, though. Instead, he carried it down the hall and knocked on the open doorway of the guest room— no—_ Rey’s _ room.

She flinched and spun around with wide eyes, like he'd caught her doing something naughty instead of just hanging her clothes up. Ben had a similar, adorably frightened expression whenever Kylo snuck up on him...hence why he did it so much. But he wasn't thinking about his brother right now— Ben could go drown in his own superiority for all Kylo cared. 

"I come in peace.” He stepped inside, lips curved into a half-smile as he held out the bottle. "This is as much of a welcome gift as I could manage on short notice."

Chuckling, she set aside the piece of clothing she’d been working on a hanger and took the ice-cold beer. "That's really nice of you, thanks," she said.

"No problem..." 

Realizing he'd forgotten to grab a bottle opener, he was about to offer to get the cap off, when she lifted the bottom of her shirt to do it herself. His eyes widened at the flash of a freckled tan over hard, flat muscle. As the cap popped off, he forced himself to look back up, thinking it would distract him from the thoughts creeping into the back of his mind. It didn't. 

Goddammit, why did she have to drink so eagerly? Wait, what was he complaining about? It was hardly the first time he'd fixated on something enticing, knowing it'd only tease him without satisfaction. He was a glutton for punishment that way. His only concern was her seeing the evidence. 

Alas, she saved him from the embarrassment by embarrassing _ herself _ instead. When her cheeks blew out with a muffled belch, and her face went lobster-red, he couldn't help but snicker. Her scrambled apologies only made him laugh harder.

"I'm...really sorry about that. I uh-- I didn't realize how parched I was." 

"Guess I should've brought you a water first," he chuckled, trying _ very _ hard not to crack a certain joke— but it was impossible not to say it. "I can grab you one, if you're that uh...thirsty."

Cheeks still stained with a deep flush, she laughed and shook her head. "You got me there." 

God, she was cute. He was tempted to tease her again, to keep that blush on her cheeks and the smile in her eyes, but he didn't want to cross the line. His particular brand of 'charm' was best enjoyed in small doses until one built up a tolerance. 

Taking a smaller swig of beer, she stepped closer to the door. "I didn't actually look too closely at the kitchen earlier. I'll take you up on that water if you’d be kind enough to show me around a bit." 

Odd... Who accepted living somewhere without seeing the whole place? For all she knew, there were giant holes in the walls and water that ran black and a family of rats living under the sink...but then he remembered. Five hundred dollars. Right, she couldn't afford to care about those things. And luckily for them, she didn't have to. 

"Sure, sure,” he finally said, leading the way into the hall.

When they reached the kitchen kitchen, he gave a little gesture as if to say 'behold', then pushed aside the take-out boxes accumulating on the counter. Leaning against it, he surveyed the room with fresh eyes. Black marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, clean-ish...that had to be more than good enough for her. 

As she looked around, she asked, "Did Ben tell you I can cook a bit? I'd be happy to make you guys something once in a while. Since you're helping me out so much, and all."

His expression soured at the mention of Ben, but only for an instant.

"No, he didn't...but that would be awesome." 

Ben was probably too polite to accept her offer, but again— five hundred dollars. If she was offering extra help, Kylo wasn't about to say no. Reaching to the fridge, he grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it to her. "For your unquenchable thirst."

She glanced over just in time for the bottle to slap into her open palm. "Thanks!"

"Nice catch.” His eyes followed her as she finished her beer and looked around, brow raising when she started opening the cabinets. What was she looking for? 

"Oh, wow. There's an unopened box of pans in here!" 

He spared a dull glance to the box. The label read Williams Sonoma, a pretty standard brand for his parent’s kitchen. "Yeah, our mom gave us a lot of stuff we never use when we first moved in here…”  
  
He cursed himself a second later for mentioning it. Now, she'd ask about their mom, and he'd have to give a sanitized, roundabout explanation, and deal with all the awkward pity that would ensue...

Instead of pestering, Rey just went quiet for a moment. Her lips pursed slightly and she averted her eyes. When she did finally comment, all she said was, "That was nice of her.”

Looking back to the stack of takeout boxes, she let out a long sigh. "Bloody hell, you two should have hired a cook, not rented out for a roommate.” 

"Ah, but hiring a cook meant _ losing _ money, not _ gaining _ . This way, we get a cook _ and _ a roommate.”

She chuckled and shook her head. "You know, if you had put it in your ad that you were looking for a chef and a roommate, all for $500 rent, I probably still would’ve come knocking...But it's not part of the rental agreement, so don't go getting picky on me." 

"I'll remember that next time I go posting roommate ads online. And don't worry— years of _ trying _ to cook has made me immune to burnt, undercooked, oversalted, undersalted, or otherwise barely edible food. I'm as un-picky as it gets." 

Ben was a bit more fussy, but Kylo chalked it up to him needing less food. Only one of them did manual labor every day. The biggest thing Ben ever had to carry was a briefcase. 

Holding out his hand for a shake, he said, "So you have yourself a deal. I’d appreciate having a home cooked meal for a change. Ben will, too—but fair warning, he's super annoying about favors. He has to reach a certain quota of saying 'its too much', or 'you shouldn't have', before he'll accept anything."

Her grin grew as she took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Noted. It's a good thing you don't have any qualms about it. So do you guys have any allergies or diet restrictions?”

“Like I said, I'll eat anything, and we don't have any allergies. But Ben's a vegetarian." 

"Vegetarian, okay...” Sipping at her water, she tilted her head. “Is milk and cheese okay? Fish? How about eggs? I think I heard something about some vegetarians eating eggs." 

“Fish would be…pescatarian, so no.” He had to take a second to remember the right word. “He’s always saying he’ll go full vegan and quit the eggs and dairy, but keeps making exceptions for Dunkin Donuts and yum-yum sauce, _ so-o-o _ I’d say anything that isn’t a corpse won’t make him queasy.” 

_ He does like _ one _ kind of meat, though _, Kylo thought as soon as he said it, biting back a grin. Ah, too bad he couldn't share those kinds of jokes with people.

"Again, he probably won't even let you cook for him,” he added. “But if you insist on it, just give him French fries and he's happy.”

"French fries, got it," she noted.

Glancing to the living room, his gaze landed on one of Ben’s old textbooks, and his chest tightened. “Shit, I didn’t even ask you what you studied....and you said you worked somewhere nearby, right?” 

She had to be so irritated with him, going on and on about himself and Ben without asking the most basic question from her. Normally, he didn’t give a damn if he gave enough in a conversation, but he _ really _ wanted her to like him—and not just to spite Ben.

"I go to Cooper Union, just down the street,” she said. “I’m in the art school, focused in digital photography. And I work at a little indie gallery on Mercer Street.”

While he nodded, struggling for what to ask next, she turned a question on him. "So you said you had an audition coming up. What's it for?"

His eyes lit up and he shifted closer, shaking his hair out of his face as he spoke, "_Heathers: The Musical _ . I'm a terrible singer, and not much of a dancer either, so I normally don't bother with musicals...but I've been working my ass off trying to get better at it, just for this one part. I _ know _ no one can do this character justice more than me."

"That's awesome. I've never seen it, but if you want any help I could read lines with you or something," she offered, then held up her hands with a little grin. "Though please don't ask me to try and help you with your dancing or singing. I can't do either of those things _ at all _.”

He barely heard the second part of her statement, too distracted by her offer. Not even Ben would read lines with him. "You would? That would...that’d be great. A lot of the lines are sung, but there's this one solo, where you'd just have to say a couple of lines to give me something to react to— but I should probably show you the whole thing first, though, so you know what it's even about...if you want to, and have the time, that is."

She nodded along through his rambling, then hummed at his mention of her having enough time.

"I can make time between school and work. Though travelling all the way down the hall to meet you at your room is going to be tough." Miming taking a look at a watch, she sucked air through her teeth sharply. "Oof. And with traffic… I don't know…”

His nose wrinkled with a little snort, a smile creasing the corners of his eyes. “You’ll have to beat the rush hour when Ben goes to work and comes home—he’ll run you over.”

She covered her mouth to hide her laugh. "I'll be sure to look both ways before crossing the hall."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left comments and kudos on the first chapter! Julia and I were not expecting such a strong positive first reaction. We hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. [Inquiry: What Causes Nightmares?]

Living with Rey had thus far been the most confusing, fun, yet miserable month of Ben’s life. 

Rey herself was a joy to be around. Not only did she cook for them, but apparently she’d taken the time to ask his brother about their restrictions. 

The first time she made dinner, Ben had thanked her with the same tight smile he gave every other acquaintance who offered him food. He fully expected to find nothing but a charred, glazed corpse on the table. Instead, she’d actually bothered to make a full, vegetarian meal for him. If he hadn’t liked her before, he certainly did now. 

Beyond the occasional shared meals, he tried to have one-on-one conversations with her whenever Kylo was away, but between his own busy schedule and hers, that was easier said than done. 

And speaking of Kylo...Ben barely spoke to him. As soon as Rey showed up, something between them shifted. They were happy on their own, but bitter together, either ignoring each other or flinging passive-aggressive jabs. Ben hated it. But since Rey _ was _ here, he wasn’t about to go “make up” with his brother the only way they knew how. 

Therapeutic talks weren’t their style. If anything, it just lead to more misunderstandings and arguments, unless it came right after they’d already “bonded”.

One night, Ben had just managed to sleep soundly after a long day of work when a _ scream _ made him nearly fall out of bed. He grabbed the edge of the mattress to catch himself as his bleary eyes adjusted to the dark. 

What the hell was that? It sounded like it came from inside the apartment— and it was too high pitched to come from Kylo. 

He sucked in a breath and staggered to his feet as fast as his groggy brain would allow. As he forced himself out into the hall, the glare of the streetlamps streaming in through the windows hurt his eyes, but helped to wake him up a bit faster. 

He reached to open Rey’s door, but only halfway turned the knob before stopping himself. What if the shriek wasn’t real? What if he’d just dreamed it? What if she was safe and sound, and he burst in on her while she slept, giving her a real reason to scream? 

Another muffled cry gave him his answer. Heart pounding, he rushed into the room, fists raised before his face as his eyes darted in every direction for an intruder. No grim shadow loomed over Rey’s bed, no hooded figures lurked in the corner. There was only Rey, tangled in her own sheets.

He took a step back from the bed, fists uncurling to rake his fingers through his hair. He hadn’t been the one dreaming--she had. As hard as it was to watch her thrash, she wasn’t in any real danger, and he wasn’t _ nearly _ a close enough friend to shake her awake. That’d just scare her more. 

The more he thought about it, the more stupid his initial fear of an intruder seemed. Why would anyone go to the trouble of getting past all that security downstairs to get to one, random apartment on the tenth floor?

Holding his breath, he turned slowly to sneak out before he woke her up, but it was too late. He flinched as she sat bolt upright with a cry, then gasped his name.  
  
“Ben-!”  
  
Swallowing, he held his hands up, hoping she didn’t think he was here to hurt her. 

“Shhh, shh....it’s okay, I-I heard you scream and thought you were in trouble,” he whispered. Since she was already awake, he tentatively sat at the edge of the bed, but was careful not to touch her. “You were having a nightmare, weren’t you?”

“I’m sorry...” She trembled and hung her head, her hair shielding her face.

His lips parted to say something when he noticed his hand sliding a bit too close to hers. Even if it wasn’t the middle of the night, and he had on more than just a T-shirt and boxers, he would’ve been awkward with touching. He usually was. Did she want physical comfort? Would it help, or would it scare her? 

Usually, no matter how much he ached to just _ relax _ around Rey, he figured it was better safe than sorry. 

He couldn’t conclude anything else until she let him catch a glimpse of her face. When she lifted her head, something in his chest cracked a little. Her cheeks were wet, her eyes wide, her lip quivering. He couldn’t help himself—he reached out. 

His fingers glided over where hers had fisted in the sheets. Even through the thin material, her skin felt feverish. His breath halted in his throat when her eyes darted down at his hand, but when her fingers intertwined with his rather than recoiling, he exhaled with a shy smile. 

Her warmth spread through his fingertips and up his arm until every ounce of tension melted away. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed being touched. His brother usually satisfied that need— even if half of those touches were surprise tackles and shoves— but with this strange, unspoken rivalry, Ben just had to go without...until now. 

“The nightmares, they...they started again a couple nights ago. I thought—I thought I outgrew them.” She clenched her jaw, eyes fixed on a single spot on the wall.

“I’m sorry,” he breathed, looking down to their hands. “From...from what it sounded like, they must be really awful.“

“It’s— I should be used to them by now. But I always wake up scared and— and alone. And when I fall back to sleep they just come back again. I just— I don’t understand why they have to come back when I’m finally happy.”

"I don't think you can get used to a dream. Every time you're in it, you forget you were there before," he murmured. Thankfully, he hadn't had his own nightmares in a while, and none terrible enough to wake up screaming. That was more Kylo's problem than his. "Maybe they're coming back _ because _ you're happy— you're not used to it, so you're afraid something will ruin it. So your mind gives you a nightmare as practice for what it expects will be the real thing.”

Her brows twitched together, and she slowly nodded. “I...I think you’re right. The first time I remember having them was when my parents left and I was put in the system. They would go away when I was placed into a new home or had just come back into custody and then..they’d start up again when I was finally feeling normal.” 

Given how she never spoke of a family before, he’d assumed her parents were dead. Like his and Kylo's. Without ever voicing their trauma, he’d felt somewhat bonded to her. But her parents weren't taken away by external forces. They _ left _, voluntarily.

Somehow, that seemed so much worse. 

Her cough interrupted his thoughts, and she looked to him with wide eyes. “I— uh— sorry, I just realized I never told you about that...the foster-system part...”

He shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat as he gave her hand another squeeze. "No, no, I...I mean, why would you? I imagine it's not an easy thing to talk about, and we haven't known each other that long, so I'm just glad you're comfortable enough to tell me now…”

“My parents are coming back for me, though,” she rushed to say. “They didn’t mean to leave me for so long. If a nosy neighbor hadn’t called CPS...” 

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “The system is messed up. Children are lost in paperwork all the time. I didn’t know my personal information, not even my last name, so I got lost in the system. My parents have been looking for me this entire time, I know it. We’ll find each other again.”

He tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible, mind spinning to make sense of her conflicting story. Rey was what, twenty now? Who knew when her parents left her, but it had to have been ages ago. But here she was, telling him they were coming back, that it was someone else's fault... 

He kept trying to remind himself that he didn't know anything about her situation, that he had no right to refute what she was saying— but from his position on the outside, far away enough to see the picture clearly, it looked pretty damn black and white. 

His eyes flitted over her features, taking in the faint smile on her lips and the wideness of her eyes. Like her story, they didn't match up. She knew. Somewhere, deep down, she knew it was a lie. But he'd ruin everything if he pointed it out. 

Forcing another small smile in return, he nodded, not trusting himself enough to speak until she changed the subject. 

“Anyway… I should let you get to bed. I’m sorry for waking you up.” Squeezing his hand, her smile turned tender. “Thank you, though, for checking on me. You’re really too kind.”

"It's alright, you couldn't help it...and really, it's nothing. Um...if you need me, well...you know where to find me," he muttered, free hand moving to rub the back of his neck as he glanced between their joined fingers and the door. "Are you sure you'll be alright?"

Quickly nodding, she withdrew her hand and scooted back into her pillows. “I’ll be fine, Ben. Thank you again. Go rest up. I won’t forgive myself if you mess up a case tomorrow because of me.”

A strange ache settled in his chest. His fingers twitched around hers as if to keep them there, but he had enough sense to let go, clearing his throat as he stood from the bed and bid her goodnight. 

* * *

The next morning, Rey rose bright and early to brew a fresh pot of coffee and make a big breakfast of chopped fruit, pancakes, and soy sausage for Ben. Without saying anything about last night, she hoped he’d understand her gratitude.

Right on schedule, she heard his bedroom door open and close, and the patter of his feet coming down the hallway. 

“Oh wow…”

Rey smiled, glancing over her shoulder from where she stood over the frying pan. She winced internally at Ben’s appearance, kicking herself for messing up his sleep so badly that he looked like death warmed over this morning. 

“Is this all for me?” he asked, hesitantly taking the plate and silverware she’d set out for him. Before she could reply, Kylo spoke up from behind him, making him almost drop his fork. 

“Of course it’s for you. Rey didn’t have a bunch of vegetarian friends coming over for breakfast, last time I checked...”

“It’s for _ both _ of you,” Rey lied easily. “Well, now that you’re awake, Kylo. I can throw on some bacon, if you like.” 

Smiling at both of them over the rim of her mug, she took a sip and went back to finishing breakfast. Had Kylo had heard her screaming last night..? God, she hoped not...

* * *

Kylo leaned against the doorway, arching a brow at Rey’s words. He hadn’t done anything to deserve some fancy breakfast. Given it was all of _ Ben’s _ favorite food, he didn’t buy her words for a second. Why was she lying? And more importantly, what had his brother done to butter her up so much? 

On any other day, he wouldn’t have made Rey go to the trouble of making more food when there was already plenty to go around. And though he didn’t refrain from eating the occasional deli sandwich in front of Ben, Kylo knew exactly where the “line” was as far as what would and wouldn’t bother him. Bacon was _ way _past that line. The smell would linger for hours in a small space like this. So even if he could cook, that was one thing he’d never make if Ben was nearby. 

Normally. 

“Yes, Rey, I would _ love _ some bacon,” he said, brushing past her with a wide smile. 

Ben’s glare burned into his skin, but didn’t look up as he moved to prepare his coffee, humming to himself as he stirred in an obnoxious amount of cream. No more than ten seconds later, behind him came the clatter of a fork against a plate. He bit back a smirk as he sipped his coffee without turning around. No doubt Ben was calculating an excuse to leave.

“I just remembered...”

_ Like fucking clockwork. _

“...I forgot something at the office, I have to be there in uh...well, right now,” Ben slammed his empty plate on the counter next to Kylo. “Sorry you went to the trouble, Rey. See you later.” 

Well. That was easy.  
  
Kylo turned to watch his brother leave before looking to Rey with an innocent half-shrug. 

She looked miffed, and a bit disappointed. She’d only cooked for them a handful of times, and he guessed that she hadn’t thought about how the smell of bacon would drive Ben from the room.

Oh, well.

“Busy Ben, always up to something boring or another...” he muttered before shifting an inch closer to her. “So...how’d you sleep?”

“Uh— not well, honestly.” She took Ben’s plate and sighed, putting it back in the cupboard.

Kylo only asked the question to be conversational, and to distract her from Ben. But her admittance had his eyes narrowing. He wondered if he should be concerned. Everyone had a hard time sleeping now and then. But considering how _ nice _ she had been to his brother, and how tired Ben had seemed, Kylo couldn’t help but conflate the two in a picture he _ really _ didn’t want to think about. But now that the thought was there, he couldn’t ignore it. 

How the fuck had Ben done it? He couldn’t even look at Rey without blushing like some twat at an eighth grade dance. Kylo, meanwhile, had been systematically pushing further and further into her personal space, getting her used to his closeness so that when the time came, he could make his move with less risk of getting slapped. 

But here they were. Rey and Ben, sleep deprived after doing god only knew what while Kylo was passed out cold and alone... 

“I just uh, well, I’ve been having...bad dreams lately,” she said.

Nightmares....huh. That still didn’t explain why _ Ben _ was a zombie today, so he wasn’t sure he could buy it. 

“I used to get those a lot,” he admitted. “Awful ones.”

“You did?” she asked, pushing food around her own plate now. Strange. Usually, she ate like an animal. A cute, savage little animal. 

“Yeah...” His eyes shifted uncomfortably, but he tried to hide it by reaching above her to grab a plate from the pantry. Shifting to the skillet, he piled on half of what was left, leaving just enough for Rey if she wanted more, but not Ben. 

“When did they stop?” she asked.

He could hear the hope in her tone before even meeting her eyes. Swallowing as he looked down at her, he gave a limp shrug. 

“I don’t know when, exactly, I sort of just...grew out of it, I guess,” he said, unsure how much or how little information she wanted. “I don’t know of a magic cure, unfortunately.”

“Ah, yeah. Well, it would be too easy if there was one…”

“Yeah, it would,” he agreed with a half hearted laugh, trying not to think about all the therapists he’d been sent to in pursuit of a “cure”. All that cognitive bullshit probably just made the nightmares last longer. 

He wished he could give her a better answer, since the fact that she _ wanted _ one made him believe her a bit more. Maybe she wasn’t lying about the nightmares. Maybe Ben lost sleep just because he was a masochistic workaholic. Made more sense than Ben suddenly growing a pair and seducing Rey.

“So why are you up so early, anyway?” she asked, raising her brows in the direction of the clock.

“Oh—just heard you in the kitchen and smelled the coffee, you know...wasn’t about to pass up on your fantastic cooking.”

A soft smile appeared on her lips. Taking a step closer, she bumped her shoulder against his and said, “I guess I should make breakfast in the morning more often, then. Actually wake you up at a decent hour.” 

Kylo nodded eagerly at that suggestion. “It’d be a lot less dangerous than the usual methods people employ to wake me up.” 

Turning back around, she grabbed a number of containers and began storing away the leftovers. That was another little quirk of her’s that he’d noticed over the weeks; she never let anything go to waste.

“What are your plans today?” she asked. “I have to be at work in a couple hours.”

He snuck one more pancake before taking his full plate to the table, where he finally started to dig in. She caught him mid-mouthful with her question, and he had to chew extra fast to answer her. 

“I don’t have work until later in the afternoon. Tech rehearsal,” he said, mind now shifting back to the audition she’d helped him with. He still hadn’t heard back about casting decisions. “If you don’t have any plans, uh—“ 

_ Slam _. 

Kylo sighed, glad Ben was already out the door. “Anyway...if you don’t have plans, I could show you this song I’ve been working on...”

“Sure, I’d love to hear it!”

After breakfast, he played his song for her in the den. There were no lyrics yet, only guitar, but Rey sat through it like a parent at a school recital. She was polite, of course, but he could tell when praise was genuine and when it wasn’t. He could _ always _ tell. Somehow, her tight smile stung more than open criticism.

Fuck. Maybe he really did belong behind the scenes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 100 kudos after only two chapters?! Julia and I are floored! Thank you so much for all the love you are showing this story. We hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. [Inquiry: Can I Cuddle Platonically w/ my Crush?]

Kylo planned to rewrite a softened version of his song and practice until midnight, but given how early he’d risen that morning, his eyes started to droop after an hour. He slapped himself awake and tried to push through a simple riff, but his sluggish fingers refused to obey. He couldn’t go three notes without fucking up. With a defeated huff, he slung his guitar atop a pile of dirty clothes and fell into bed.

His dreams were always foggy and bizarre. When something woke him up in the middle of the night, he thought it was the dream itself. Some kind of animal had been caught in a trap, screaming over and over... 

Flopping on his side, he screwed his eyes shut and tried to relax, but the scream returned before he could drift off again.

Meaning it was _ real _. 

“The fuck…?”

He rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, listening intently for another scream. Was it a fox? City foxes were rare, but it was a possibility...then again, it was also possible someone was getting murdered outside. Should he call the cops?

When the scream rang out again, his blood ran cold. That wasn’t from outside. That was _ Rey _. 

He ripped the covers from his body and rushed to the door, ignoring the white spots in his vision. His heart pounded in time with his feet as they slapped down the hall to Rey’s room. 

Though every atom in his body prepared for a fight, he didn’t consider what else could cause her to scream until he reached her door. If _ Ben _ was the cause of this, well...they deserved to get caught in the act. 

Bursting inside, he rushed Rey’s bed as soon as he could tell she was alone. He’d never been on the other side of a nightmare before. Dodging Rey’s scratching fingers and flailing legs, he tried to grab her shoulders to shake her awake, not wanting her to suffer for a second longer. But before he could manage, her palm smacked hard against his cheek. 

“Shit..!” he hissed, flinching back. He was about to try again when a glimmer of moonlight reflected in her open eyes. 

“Rey…!” He took a breath and leaned over her, pushing her wild hair out of her face. “It’s alright, it’s over...it wasn’t real...”

“Kylo…” His name wrenched past her lips like a thorn pulled from a wound. 

Before he could react, she yanked him on top of her. His breath hitched, but when she didn’t try to hurt him, he eased into her shaky embrace. 

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry...I’m so sorry,” she murmured over and over, voice strained with tears.

“Shh, shh...you have nothing to be sorry for.”

Resting his chin in the crook of her neck, he slid an arm around her shoulders and stroked her hair, trying to calm her even as he prayed she’d never let him go.

“It’s alright, Rey, you’re alright...”

Though he tried very hard not to show it, his body was aflame, both from Rey’s heated skin and the excitement of having her so close. He couldn’t help it. He should’ve been entirely focused on her comfort, but it was impossible to ignore the fact he was in her bed, in her arms, with very few layers of clothing between them.

Her breathing soon slowed and her trembling stopped. He willed himself to loosen his grip, but still needed to see her face, to make sure she was really alright. His arms remained wrapped around her as he pulled back enough to get a look.

Her cheeks were flushed and tracked with tears. Her gaze flicked away from him, and yet again, she apologized. “I really am sorry. But...thank you. For being here. For— for holding me.”

“No, no, it’s nothing...I just wish I was here sooner.”

She rubbed her eyes with a sheepish sigh. “I guess I should’ve mentioned the bad dreams are...a recurring problem.”

He frowned. “How...frequent are they?”

“Well, this is only the second time since living with you and Ben, but...it seems to happen whenever I get comfortable.” She swallowed thickly, eyes downcast. “Like...cosmic karma for being happy or something.” 

He must’ve had his headphones on full blast to not hear her the last time. But Ben...Ben heard, hadn’t he? That’s why he looked so exhausted, he’d stayed up all night talking to her, doing that soothing, psycho-analytical thing he always did...and she’d paid him back with a king’s breakfast (or tried to, before Kylo ruined it.)

He couldn’t credit his twin with knowing the first thing about flirtation, but platonic, G-rated comfort was definitely Ben’s strong suit. 

His arms locked a fraction of an inch tighter around her as he tried to pretend he was the only one who’d held her like this.

“Fuck karma. You deserve to be happy,” he muttered, half of his features hidden in the shadows as he hovered inches above her. 

“Thank you...but I don’t know if it’s about deserving. Maybe my psyche is just trying to prepare me for what I think is inevitable; for my happiness to be taken away. That’s uh— what Ben thought, at least."

Kylo narrowed his eyes and rolled beside her with a sigh. 

“‘Course he said that…you said you had a nightmare last night, too...is it always like this?”

She winced, shifting slightly to face him. “I— I think so. I’ve been shaken awake more than a few times and told to shut up...” 

_ What the fuck kind of person would ever-- _

“Seriously?” He glowered at the thought. “I hope you hit them a lot harder than you hit me.” 

“Well, Ben was clever enough to stay out of my reach,” she softly teased, “I didn’t hit him or tug him onto me in a blind panic.” 

His expression brightened in an instant. Ben would never go for an embrace unless Rey initiated it, and if she didn’t...Kylo _ was _ the first twin to hold her. 

“I thought he made a pretty good point,” she continued. “About my dreams trying to prepare me. Especially with how I grew up— oh, I uh, was raised in the foster system— I guess my subconscious doesn’t want to risk me getting _ too _ comfortable.”

He bit his lip, jaw rolling. “I used to have friends in the system.”

“I grew up on the British system, so I wouldn’t know them,” she murmured, “But I’m sure the American system is similar to the Brit’s, so they might have given you an idea on what it was like...”

"I wouldn't expect you to know them. I just...I don't know, thought it might make you feel better to know you're not the first foster kid I've ever met." 

When he said this aloud, he realized how utterly unhelpful it sounded, but it was better than what Ben could offer. Both of them had always struggled to make friends. When they did, the kids who gravitated towards them were of very different stock. Foster kids and outcasts for Kylo, valedictorians and goody-goodies for Ben.

“Anyway...it’s safe to get comfortable now.” He swallowed, tentatively inching closer. “You know we love having you around.”

She offered him a small smile, but he could tell it was strained. “I love living with you guys, but I don’t think you’ll love living with me when I wake you up for the fourteenth night in a row.”

He pursed his lips, but his brows lifted when an idea sparked from his memory. 

"Do you still get these nightmares when someone sleeps close to you? Like...you're not in the room alone, I mean."

Rey blinked rapidly as she seemed to consider his question. “I uh— I don’t remember...all the times I’ve slept in the same room as other people, I haven’t really been content or happy, so...I don’t know.”

"But you're happy here.”

"Yeah, I am..." She smiled faintly, then leaned into him, nudging his side in an almost playful way. 

Heart fluttering, he grinned and nudged her back. "You feel safe with me, don't you?" 

He suspected she felt safer with Ben, but didn't dare mention it. He wasn't about to volunteer his brother for the prized task of guarding her sleep. 

Her nose crinkled adorably as she chuckled, raising a brow. "Yeah, I do. As determined as you seem to have this edgy, screw-the-world vibe, you're actually really nice. To me, at least.” 

"I _ like _ my screw-the-world vibe, thank you very much," he snorted, though her description warmed his heart. "You bring out the niceness in me...you're only the second person to do that."

It seemed he could only be nice to one person at a time. In came Rey, out went Ben. While Kylo still had a hundred little reasons to resent his brother, from their parents’ favoritism to Ben’s behavior when Rey arrived, he missed his other half. But what could he do? Whenever they'd fought before, it was always best to let Ben come around first. Otherwise, Kylo just got a suspicious glare and two more weeks of the silent treatment. No one believed him when he apologized. 

Hence why he wasn't a huge fan of it. 

His attention snapped back to Rey as she yawned, telling him, “Well, I don't want to keep you up later than I already have..." 

His opportunity had arrived at last. His lips curved into a crooked grin before he flopped onto his belly, arms hiding his face. 

"Alright, good night..!”

As with most things, he hoped a teasing approach would, at the very least, prompt a teasing rejection. Better than a blunt command to get the hell out of her bed. All he needed was an awkward smile or a shifty gaze, and he'd be gone. But if she wanted him to stay...well. He'd see how far he could push his luck.

“You don’t have to stay here,” she assured him, fingers twisting in the sheets. “I didn’t have any more nightmares the other night, after Ben came in and helped.” 

He peeked over his arm at her, eyes narrowed and gleaming as he tried to decipher her meaning. It didn’t sound like a _ yes, Kylo, please sleep with me _ , but it also didn’t sound like a _ for the love of god, get out _. Hmm. He wouldn’t figure out which one without prompting a little more honesty. 

“Mm...he didn’t do that great a job since you _ did _ have another nightmare, just a few minutes ago…”

She inclined her head, acquiescing to his point, and he propped himself up on his elbow.

“You know, he used to stay with me when I had nightmares.” 

They’d started not long after their parents moved him into his own bedroom, deciding he and Ben were too old to share a room. At first, he'd been excited to have his own space, but the first night was unbearably lonely. 

And terrifying. 

Every shadow looked like a man--_ the _ man, with his gnarled fingers and long, dirty nails--looming over his bed to whisper hideous things in his ear. Han and Leia's reluctant, sleep-deprived assurances did nothing to help. He’d wake up screaming no more than fifteen minutes after they left. But he _ never _ had nightmares when his twin heard him, when Ben snuck into his room and slipped under the covers to hold him until morning. Kylo didn't sleep alone again until he was fourteen, when Ben left for one of his smart-kid camps. And by then, it seemed the nightmares were dead for good. 

“Logically, I knew I was already safe, but I couldn’t _ feel _ safe unless he was there. I don't know if my company would help as much, but I can _ almost _ pass for Ben.”

Rey furrowed her brow, but her tone was soft as she murmured, “You don’t have to pass for Ben. You’re fine just being you.”

Warmth curled around his spine and brought a faint smile to his eyes. He still doubted he was her favorite, but for now, this was enough.

“So it’s just going to be...sleeping next to each other?” she asked. “You don’t mind sleeping next to me? What if I accidentally kick you in the shin?” 

Did she want it to be more than sleeping next to each other? Or was she afraid he’d try something?

“I don’t care if you kick me. By accident. But uh...yeah, that’s all I meant, I won’t—“ He couldn’t just say he wouldn’t touch her. Again, what if she wanted it? “—I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” 

There. Perfect. The most eloquent thing he’d ever said in his life, for sure. 

God help him, if she let him sleep on her floor after this, he’d start going to Mass again. Twice a year, just like Ben. Maybe even three, if the universe decided to be extra generous.

“I think I can live with that,” she agreed, a light smile dancing on her lips. 

_ Thank you Jesus, thank you Buddha, thank you Aphrodite... _

He tried not to look as excited as he felt, drawing his lips in a tight line to hide his smile before he slipped under the covers. He didn’t touch her, but the heat from her body warmed his skin, and a soft, feminine scent filled the narrow space between them and the sheets. 

“Good night, Kylo.”

“Good night, Rey...” he whispered, though he doubted he’d get to sleep any time soon. His nerves sparked with far too much primal excitement. But he couldn’t just give into his instincts, not this time—he had to be good. Or at least, pretend to be. His eyes lingered on her longer than they should before he willed them shut and tried to relax.

It had been so long since he’d shared a bed with anyone, he sunk into the deepest sleep he’d had in months. He didn’t wake once, nor feel a thing, until the first sunbeam broke through a crack in the curtains.

He turned away from the light, and his cheek fell against something soft. Soft like Ben’s hair, but much longer… His fingers flexed as he noticed the warmth of a small arm curled against his bicep. 

_ Rey _... 

His eyes cracked open, and there she was. He couldn’t be dreaming—he’d just woken up. How long had she been holding onto him? Each breath she took tickled his shoulder, and her face was so close, all he’d have to do was turn his head to kiss her. 

_ Fuck, _ it was all he wanted to do now. Maybe he’d even get away with it, but not now, not when she was asleep. His eyes slipped closed again as he let his head fall limp on the pillow, nose pressed against her hair. Mm, yes. He could be content with this for a while...

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be. She stirred, and he lamented the loss of her warmth as she blearily looked up at him.

“G’mornin’...” she murmured, her voice adorably scratchy. “Hope I didn’t keep you up all night with my snoring...”

“No, no, that was probably the best sleep I’ve ever had...” he hummed as he gazed at her through his lashes. Sun rays spilled over her freckled cheek and shone at the corner of one hazel iris, leaving one half brown and the other half green. Fixated on the gorgeous dichotomy, it took him a few seconds to remember why he was here in the first place. 

“What about you? Did you...dream anything?”

A blissful grin spread over her lips and she sighed. “No dreams. Or at least none I can remember. Just warmth, and rest...”

“Mm, I knew I could scare those nightmares away,” he teased, though he knew he’d suggest he stay with her again and again--just to make sure. 

As she leaned up and stretched, he watched the roll of her shoulder blades, and considered how he might get away with an “accidental” touch before a door creaked on the other side of the apartment. 

“Sounds like Ben is awake,” she murmured, freezing mid-stretch. 

“He’ll probably be off to work soon.” Kylo tried to sound casual, but there was more hope in his voice than he intended. _ Please go to work, please go to work, just get out so I can get in... _

* * *

Ben had only been awake for two minutes before noticing something was amiss. Kylo’s door was open. He _ never _ left his door open, even when he wasn’t inside. _ Especially _ when he wasn’t inside. 

Eyes narrowed, Ben stepped from the hall in front of the bedroom, peering into the dark, messy space. The sheets were flung to the floor, like Kylo had gotten up in a hurry. Where had he gone? 

Ben told himself it was nothing, until he circled around the apartment and didn’t find his twin anywhere—though there was one place he didn’t check. He stared down Rey’s closed door for a long moment, unsure what to think. It was far more likely Kylo just ran out to do one of his dead-end gigs, right? Or grab food. Or...anything other than sneaking into Rey’s bedroom.

He listened a few feet away from her door for a few seconds, caught between the urge to burst inside or walk away. Chiding himself for his paranoia, he was about to choose the latter, until Rey started _ talking _ to someone. 

She could be on the phone...granted, he'd never overheard her on the phone before, but he also didn't make a habit of eavesdropping on her like this. Her voice was muffled through the door, but clear enough to understand. 

"Do you have work today?"

"Uh...it's kind of optional..."

Ben ground his teeth together as Kylo answered her. God_ dammit _. He knew it, he fucking knew it---

He knew what he should do. He _ should _ walk away, pretend he heard nothing, and try not to think about the two people he wanted most screwing each other instead of him. 

But why should he make it easy for them? He always blended into the background, made room for others, let them take whatever they wanted while doing nothing about it… 

Not this time. 

After a second of thought, he stepped forward and knocked twice on the door. 

"Rey?" He kept his voice light and conversational, though his expression was hard. "Sorry if you're not up yet, but I need to ask you something..." 

A grim smile twitched at Ben's lips as Kylo muttered a curse on the other side of the door, followed by the sound of quick shuffling. 

_ That's it, go hide in the closet, pretend you're not here… _

Then, faster than he expected, the door swung open and Rey stood before him. 

“I’m awake, Ben. So is Kylo.”

Holy _ shit _, that was blunt. She seriously wasn’t going to bother hiding this? At all? Before he could pick his jaw up off the floor, let alone decide what to feel, she offered further explanation. 

“He heard me last night. Nightmares again. He said you used to stay with him when he had his nightmares, and thought it might work for me.”

Unoriginal bastard. It was just like Kylo to take something Ben had done, and use it to his advantage. 

Leaning to look over her shoulder, he glowered as he spotted his brother. Kylo _ definitely _ looked like he'd just done something he shouldn't....and yet, was fully dressed. 

"I was just about to ask where he was," Ben muttered, then looked back to Rey with a thin smile. "How nice of him to be so...helpful." 

With that, he turned to retreat back to his room, figuring this was his last chance for a graceful exit. Rey called out to stop him. 

“Uh— Ben? That was the question you wanted to ask me? Where Kylo was?” 

He paused to adjust his bitter expression before turning around. 

"Yep. That's all I wanted to ask," he said, another forced grin flickering over his features until Kylo stepped up behind Rey. 

"There's this thing called texting, you should try it!" 

"Oh, I have, but there's this thing called _ answering _, and you're not good at it," Ben quipped back, glaring daggers at Kylo before stalking off to his bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Jessa here. Sorry for the delay in updating. Julia and my schedules have been crazy thanks to the holidays. Thank you for your patience. We can't wait to hear what your thoughts were about this chapter!


	5. [Search: Good Date Locations NYC]

"Don't know why he'd care where I was, but whatever," Kylo scoffed as Ben's door slammed shut. He leaned against the threshold and turned to Rey, head tilted and eyes gleaming expectantly. "So...what were you saying earlier?"

"I was thinking since I don’t have work today, and Ben gets off work early, and work is ‘optional’ for you, we could all have dinner together. I could make something, or we could go out..." 

Hands stuffed in his pockets, Kylo rocked on his heels and glanced over his shoulder at Ben’s room. “_ I _ would love to have dinner with you, but I don’t think he’s...in a sociable mood. And besides, it’d be more fun for _ you _ to have a peaceful evening—with me—instead of whatever it’s going to turn into if he comes along.”

Following his gaze, she nodded. Though Ben’s attitude could change by dinnertime, there was no telling after he dealt with more people at work. And Kylo knew his brother better than she did.

"Okay. Just the two of us, then.” She offered him a smile. "I could whip up something really tasty tonight, if you want. Or we could go out. Any preference?"

His stance relaxed, and he broke into a toothy grin. “Let's go out. I haven't been anywhere decent in a while, and I'm sure you're tired of slaving around the house, so...how does Cantina sound?"

Her head was already bobbing up and down before he’d finished his question. “Great idea! I’ve never been there before, but my classmates are always talking about how fantastic it is.” 

"I'm not surprised. College students love cheap margaritas.”

She chuckled, then glanced into her room. “I’ll just get caught up on a bit of homework, and then, if you want, we could go out early and take some pictures? I have another project for school and need some new material.”

"Pictures..." he repeated. "Sure, yeah, uh...what kind of pictures?" 

Watching his lips turn up, and a glint light in his eyes, she bit back a grin and nudged him with her shoulder. 

“_ Normal _ pictures. Well, everyday life kind of pictures, probably. The assignment is to take a mundane situation and edit it to tell any story I like. I thought about going for a nightmare-reality vibe but...” Trailing off, she smiled sheepishly. “Maybe in light of certain recent events, it’s not the best idea.”

“I don’t know, the nightmare thing sounds good to me,” he said with a shrug. “It’s honest. Art should always be honest. Maybe you could have a dream-version of the same pictures to add contrast.”

She nodded, mulling over his point. “I kinda got my inspiration from Studio Ghibli movies. I don’t know if you’ve seen any of them…”

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Well, sometimes they have these scenes that are so mundane and normal, but with just a hint of something nightmare-ish. Like a little girl sitting on a train next to a demon and a shadow of a ghost. I kinda wanted to do something like that, but real life.”

“A girl sitting next to a demon, hm…” His eyes turned to the ceiling as he scratched his chin. “I wonder how we can _ possibly _ put together a photo like that...” 

His body brushed against hers as he stepped through the doorway into the hall. Walking backwards towards his room, he raised his hands and shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. “I guess we’ll never know...anyway, I should get dressed. I feel so exposed without my horns.”

She snorted and shook her head as she watched him go. The idea had been done many times before, but then again...this school project didn’t exactly stress _ creativity _ , but rather _ execution _. 

Now that she thought of it, if she hunched her shoulders to appear smaller in the photo, it would make Kylo look all the more _ massive _ in comparison. She wouldn’t even have to bother with size alterations, which would save her a ton of time and headaches...

Textbooks and lecture notes took up most of her morning, her focus only interrupted by Ben’s door-slamming departure. Her fingers twitched toward her phone, itching to text him, but what could she say?

He’d obviously been upset. That was a given, but nothing had _ happened _ between her and Kylo. Nothing explicit, at least. She’d _ told _him as much.

Unless…he didn’t believe her? The idea pricked at her heart, leaving a deep sting. If he honestly believed she would lie to his face, maybe they hadn’t become as good as friends as she’d thought.

Her phone remained untouched as she returned to her notes.

A little before noon, she got up and prepared a little lunch for herself and Kylo: Two triple-decker sandwiches with chips. 

“Kylo, lunch!” she called, but didn’t wait for him before sinking her teeth into her own sandwich. 

He emerged in ripped black jeans, a black button down with the sleeves rolled up, and a scarlet tie hung haphazardly around his neck. 

She blinked at the sight. He’d never been so dressed up before...and wafting between the savory scents of toasted bread and salted chips, she swore she caught a whiff of cologne. Something with musk and smoke and spice. 

As usual, she hadn’t put much thought at all into what she was wearing. Her go-to outfit was a sweatshirt and an old, comfortable pair of jeans. But he looked good. _ Really _ good. She liked the way he’d styled his hair; it fell around his head in soft waves. And that outfit... 

Well, no one was going to doubt his role as the demon. 

“Aw, is that all you’re having?” he asked as he waltzed into the kitchen, eyeing her plate with a slight smirk. “Careful now, or you’ll waste away…”

She glowered over her plate, swallowing just long enough to mutter, “Shuddup” before stuffing her face again. 

When he finally sat down to try his own sandwich, he immediately groaned. _ Loudly. _She tried and failed to ignore the way the sound shot heat straight to her core. 

“_ Mm _...thank you, Rey...”

Face slightly flushed, she quickly responded, “You’re very welcome.”

As he ate, she let her eyes rove over his outfit again. She’d look like a complete frump next to him. She didn’t have anything all that fancy, but she at least wanted to _ try _and match his level of dress.

Scarfing the rest of her food down, she murmured a quick, “Gonna change”, and scuttled off to her room. 

Her closet primarily consisted of sweatshirts, tanks, and hoodies. Most of them given away by her University and threadbare from being put through the wash again and again. After a lengthy bit of digging, she tugged out a dress she vaguely remembered buying at a thrift store. 

Throwing it over her head, she paused in the mirror. Apparently she’d gotten a bit more meat on her bones since moving in with the boys. Which was to be expected. After all, the twins were almost constantly hungry, and the three of them could easily polish off a meal meant for eight. 

The dress came down just above her knee and was made of a light, faded yellow material. The buttons that extended from the top of the dress to the waist had lain limply against her before, but now strained against her chest, offering her usually non-existent breasts some nice definition. 

Somehow, she didn’t think that Kylo would mind that last little discovery.

After running a comb through her hair, she put on the only makeup she owned (tinted chapstick and mascara), then headed back into the kitchen.

Bulky camera bag slung over her shoulder, she worked to remain nonchalant as she asked, “Ready to go?”

* * *

Kylo had noticed her staring earlier, but had tried not to _ look _ like he noticed as he focused instead on the lunch she'd made for him. Which didn't take much effort, considering it was a damn good sandwich. 

When she’d said she was off to change, he watched her go with a slight frown. Wasn't she already dressed? She'd changed from pajamas to jeans, and the latter usually counted as 'dressed up' for Rey. 

He was putting his dishes in the sink when her footsteps padded in behind him, and when he glanced over his shoulder, he needed a double-take. 

"I didn't know you _ owned _ a dress," he muttered without thinking.

Thankfully, rather than being offended, she leveled her gaze at his chest. A smirk curved her lips and she arched a pointed brow. As his fingers subconsciously lifted to his tie, he bit back a sheepish smile, realizing her point.

It seemed they were both going to be fashionable try-hards today. 

Clearing his throat, he faced her fully and took another shot at the whole complimenting thing. "I mean, you uh...you look good. Really good."

His flattery was about as eloquent as a toddler’s letter to Santa---and while just as sincere, decidedly less innocent. 

Rey’s tan skin seemed to glow next to the pale yellow fabric, a color he’d never liked on anyone before now. And those _ buttons. _ They looked ready to pop off her chest. _ Fuck _, he couldn't remember the last time she'd worn anything remotely figure-hugging. And there was something different about her face...

Had she put on _ makeup _ for him? He shouldn't have been so happy about her altering perfection for his sake, but hey, he'd kind of done the same thing. Not that he was perfect. But...whatever, he'd _ preened _ a bit, and she had too, so that was a good sign they both wanted something to happen later. 

_ Mm _. He couldn't wait. 

Her cheeks took on a deliciously rosy tinge as she waved him off. "Thanks, but this _ is _ the only dress that I own, so you were almost right."

"Well, uh...it's a good one…”

Jesus. Smooth as an untouched jar of peanut butter, wasn’t he? 

"Let’s head out," he said, rushing to unlock the front door. Without thinking, he held it open for her--something he never did for anyone. 

"Such a gentleman," she teased, giving him a small _ thanks _as she crossed the threshold.

"So, where are we going first?" he asked once they were on the sidewalk. "A cemetery would be an obvious choice for your nightmare thing, but if you wanted something more mundane, we could go to one of the seven billion coffee shops in town..."

As she walked, his gaze fixed on the way the sunlight fell over her hair, igniting the copper undertones he couldn’t normally see.

Lips pursed, she glanced down the street towards her campus. "Actually, I was thinking the park. There's a secluded spot with plenty of tree cover, which will give some interesting lighting. This way." 

He nodded at her suggestion before he fully processed it. When he did, he perked up at the prospect of going somewhere _ secluded _ with her. Technically, their apartment was secluded, but it just wasn't the same. Probably because Ben lived there too. 

He followed alongside her like a puppy, not thinking of where they were going or if it was the right direction. He wasn't even sure which park she was talking about.

"Have you ever done a photoshoot before?" she asked after a minute, and he shot her a look.

"Me?” He snorted and shook his head. “I think they kinda prefer people who aren't funny-looking..." 

Who 'they' were, he wasn't entirely sure, but he figured whoever did professional photoshoots wanted conventionally attractive models. 

As soon as he said this, he hoped she'd ask him to photograph her, or would at least send him copies of whatever they shot today. He didn't have a single picture of her, and that was a damn shame. But what would he even do with such a photo? 

Oh. Right. _ That _. And afterwards, he could always tape it to the ceiling right above his bed. 

_ Ben would probably hide it in his office drawer and cry over it during his breaks _, he thought with the faintest smirk, though his brows creased as he wondered what his brother was doing right now. Sulking, probably. Ben was such a sulker. Hopefully, he wouldn’t ruin their night after they came home from the Cantina.

"You're not funny-looking," Rey grumbled, shooting him a chastising glance. "You're uniquely handsome, and I just know that high-end modeling agencies would be fall over themselves to have you because of it. Just look at the America's Next Top Model winners." 

“Aren’t those all women…?” 

It was mostly a rhetorical question to deflect from the heat flooding his cheeks. 

"You're _ way _ too nice to me," he murmured before she could bother with an answer. Finally looking up from the ground, he gave her a curious once-over. “Have you ever modeled?” 

She chuckled and shook her head. “No, not really. I'm plain, and I've been told my body looks like a boy's a number of times so... Yeah, no." 

His jaw fell at her response. "_ 'Plain' _ ? Are you crazy? You're like the definition of conventional attractiveness! Well, not _ entirely _ conventional, not like cookie-cutter pretty, but...you know what I mean. And you do _ not _ look like a boy, especially not with the way that dress is clinging to you..."

He knew then he’d gone a bit overboard, but it was too late to stop himself. 

Again, luck seemed to be in his favor as her reddened cheeks lifted in a smile, and she smoothed her hands over the skirt of her dress. "Good to know..." 

When they reached their destination in the back corner of the park, it was as secluded as Rey promised. The lone wooden bench, framed by a thick grove of hedges and magnolia trees, wouldn’t be visible to anyone not standing right in front of it. That was the spot where Rey set up her camera. She seemed to be in no rush as she fiddled with it, adjusting the angle, taking experimental shots, and adjusting it again. 

"Alright... I think we're ready to go…” Pointing him to the bench, she waited until he was settled to give her next direction. “Scooch to the end of the bench there and lean your elbow on the-- yeah, just like that.” 

She spared one last glance into the monitor before sliding in beside him. “Try to look relaxed, but uh-- Interested, I guess. In me. But like...with a devil-may-care attitude? Sorry, I haven't really directed anyone before." 

“No direction needed if you just want me to be myself…”

Shaking his hair out of his face, he leaned back and allowed his gaze to wander over her. Without any effort to censor himself, his expression naturally took on a subtle smirk, and the longer she let him stare, the more his eyes gleamed. 

The light shadow of her bicep deepened as she stretched to pluck a flower from the branch overhead. With the pink bloom in one hand and the camera remote hidden in the other, she pressed the button to begin the countdown. A progression of beeps signalled the oncoming flash, and she sat upright, lifting the flower to her nose and inhaling with a soft, serene smile. 

So professional. And adorable. 

His whole body leaned into her as if drawn by a magnet just before the camera clicked. Blinking in the aftermath of the flash, he rushed to the tripod to see how the picture turned out. 

"Well, you look perfect, no surprise there…” A crease formed between his brows as he glanced over his digitized self. This was about as good as his pictures ever looked, but that wasn’t saying much. “I guess I look...okay? I don't know. What do you think?"

When he glanced up, Rey was already beside him, peering into the little screen. "I think we both look good. I like your lean. Very Little Red and Big Bad Wolf... Let's try a couple more positions." 

Big Bad Wolf, eh? His grin was certainly wolfish as she suggested they 'try more positions'. 

Over the next few minutes, he let her shift him however she pleased, giving into her suggestions and then some. The shots seemed to get better the more they settled into their respective roles as ‘demon’ and ‘innocent girl’. While the outcome satisfied him well enough, Rey wasn’t so sure. 

She clicked her tongue and muttered to herself as she scrolled through their pictures. "It's good, but… it's not _ enough _. It just feels too predictable, too...."

He usually prided himself on making things more 'original', but in this case, his creativity flatlined. He didn't know nearly enough about photography to be of much help. Thankfully, Rey’s expression brightened a second later, and she ushered him back to the bench.

"Okay, I'm going to hold out the flower to you, and you're going to reach for it. Look a little surprised; caught off guard."

That didn’t take much effort as the petals were thrust before him. Still, he made an effort to soften the high arch of his brows, lips parted as his fingers closed tentatively around the stem. The camera clicked a moment after he met her gaze. 

The next few shots felt sweeter as she asked for more poses with the flower, the demon apparently tamed by nature’s gifts. The tone changed when she swung her legs up onto the bench and crouched like a little predator. 

"Who's the wolf now?" he teased, though his tone wavered with a hint of nervousness as she crawled closer. 

Forced to lean back, he planted one foot on the ground while his other leg stretched underneath her. He thought that was as far as she'd take it...then she _ straddled _ him and twirled his tie between her fingers. Oh, hell. This was nice. _ Very _ nice... Again, no acting was required for the camera as he swallowed, head tilted back and neck exposed as his wide eyes fixed on her smirking lips.

"Mm, good.” She flashed a perfect row of white teeth as she poked his chest, urging him back even further. “Just lean against the armrest now...yeah, there we go.”

She grasped his tie as if it were a leash, and he couldn’t help but steal another downward glance at her chest as she leaned over him, her back arched and eyes cast in the shadow of her brow. An open-mouth smirk curled her lips and she tilted her head, gazing down at him as though he were nothing more than prey.

He hardly dared to breathe when the camera flashed. Only his eyes moved a second later, dipping down even further than before to where her dress rode up over her open thighs. Did she really want to submit _ this _ photo for her school project? 

"I’d better be getting copies of these..." His fingers twitched as he ached to touch her, but grasped at the armrest instead. She _ was _ the one holding the leash, after all. If she wanted his hands on her, she was clearly bold enough to ask for it, or else position them herself.

_ Please don’t move now, please don’t move now... _

She had to know what she was doing to him. Or rather, she had to _ feel _ it. She knew what she was doing as soon as she put on that dress. And with this little 'twist' to her photos...no _ way _ this wasn’t intentional. This whole setup was exactly the sort of thing he would've come up himself if he owned a half decent camera. 

_ “Ah yes, I’m doing an audition tape and I require a lovely scene partner. What kind of scene is it? Oh, nothing too risque, just an experimental dance sequence called the horizontal tango…” _

An involuntary whine tickled his throat when she slid off of him. For a second, he just laid there, wallowing in self pity before he forced himself to stand on shaky legs. Yep, this was more difficult than it should be…He adjusted himself as subtly as possible before joining Rey at the tripod. When he looked at the last photo, he bit his lip hard.

"Perfect," she murmured, her voice a bit strained.

Perfect, indeed...the shot was borderline pornographic. He wanted it as his phone background. And laptop background. And _ Ben’s _ background, just to rub it in his face...

Rey seemed to return to herself with a sharp breath, spinning on her heel to face him with her usual, sugarsweet smile. "Okay, awesome. This is all I need for the project. It'll start out with you appearing as the predator, and then reveal I was hunting _ you _ the whole time."

"Yeah, that's...that's a good twist..." He stared at the ground, giving his blood a few seconds to cool before he met her eyes again. "We've still got a couple hours before dinner, so...did you...I don't know, did you want to go somewhere else, walk a bit...?"

Honestly, he couldn't think of anywhere else he’d prefer to be. But it’d sound weird if he said he just wanted to sit here with her and do nothing--because he didn't really want to do _ nothing _, he wanted her to climb back on top of him, and yank his tie and pull his hair and... 

Yeah, everything he _ really _ wanted was a fast track to getting arrested for public indecency. 

“How about…” She pursed her lips, then her eyes lit up with a suggestion. “Oh, maybe the arcade?"

"Uh...sure, yeah.” 

A bit childish for his current mood, but he wasn’t totally opposed. He loved arcades when he was alone--or when he used to drag Ben along with him. They usually made complete asses out of themselves, two grown men screaming over PacMan. But it was fun. Whatever tension lingered between them was kept carefully hidden until they were back at the apartment, or somewhere else safe and private. With Rey, though...he wasn’t quite sure he could hide anything. 

Maybe because his attraction to her was more socially acceptable than his attraction to Ben. If he forgot where he was and kissed her, even in front of a herd of soccer moms and screaming toddlers, no one would blink. 

Kylo hadn't thought he _ cared _ about what was socially acceptable until now. 

"Just so you know, I kick ass at air hockey," he said, filling the silence more for his sake than hers as they collected the tripod and headed back towards the city. "I'd hate for you to waste your money playing against me, considering you'll never win..."

She raised a brow and snorted. "Oh, really? Well, then. I suppose I'll have to challenge you to see just how good you are.”

"In that case, you should _ also _ know I don't play without making a bet,” he added, raising a finger with a crooked smile. "If you beat me, I'll buy _ all _ your drinks at the Cantina.”

If there was one thing he’d learned from his father, it was how to make any bet a win-win. Seeing Rey sloshed would be its own reward even if his bank account was drained in a sea of slush. 

“I’ll take you up on that!” came her instant reply, before she nudged his shoulder with her own. “And you? What do you want in the unlikely event that you win?” 

He hummed, thinking over what prize he'd want. _ Several _ things came to mind. He soon settled on one, small reward he thought wouldn't be too much to ask for. 

"How about a kiss?" His tone, as per usual, was half-teasing---just in case she recoiled. But given how she'd climbed all over him in the park, he wasn't too worried. In fact, he almost expected to get a _ free _ kiss by the end of the night...but he wanted a sober one first.

At his suggestion, her cheeks flared as if a _ fire _ had been lit inside of her. His stomach twisted as she gave him a sharp look. Had he been mistaken? Had she _ not _ been flirting with him all day? She wouldn't blush unless she _ liked _ the idea of kissing him, right... ?

“Deal,” she finally agreed, and a cocky grin overtook her features. “Can’t wait for those free margaritas…” 

* * *

“Fuck-fuck-fuck—no!” His palms slapped against the edge of the air hockey table as Rey’s score went up by yet another point. She tilted her head back and cackled as he continued to shout. “Goddammit!” 

A few heads turned while others flinched and moved away from the table. An employee glared at him from a distance, but he barely noticed.

“Language!” Rey scolded him between fits of smug laughter.

The more she snickered, the more hellbent he was on winning. She wouldn’t be laughing when her arm got sore before his. And she couldn’t say anything at his expense when her lips were otherwise occupied... Granted, he expected it would be a very short kiss, but he was still determined to have it. This little dance of theirs had gone on long enough. 

And yet, it seemed like it would never end. When he won the next game, he barked out a laugh, thinking for one, euphoric moment he’d won the whole thing. But the machine didn’t shut off. There was still one more game before they needed more coins. If she beat him on this next turn, they were still at a stalemate. But if they tied, or he won again, he’d emerge victorious. 

He gave it his all on this final round. He got the lead for a while, but halfway through it, his wrist cramped. Curses slipped out of him with more and more frequency as he tried and failed to ignore the electricity shooting down his forearm. When she tied with him _ again _, he almost flipped the table. 

“We can’t just...keep tying! I should’ve won as soon as I got ahead of you, fuck if the machine says it’s over or not—“ 

He cut himself off as a vaguely familiar, portly old man approached them. Ugh. The last thing he needed right now was the family-friendly language lecture—wait. Holy shit, was this the same guy who kicked him out fifteen years ago? 

The man’s moustache was so bushy, Kylo couldn’t see his lips moving as he began his scolding. “Seems you're_ still _causing quite the ruckus, son. Did you forget your lifetime ban?”

“Hm, no...I think you’re remembering my brother. He’s the one that fucked up the _ Empire _ pinball machine,” Kylo drawled without skipping a beat. “Glad you guys fixed that, by the way. It’s our favorite.”

The man’s caterpillar brows lowered until they almost reached his stache. "As I recall, we couldn't figure out which one of you broke the machine, so you were _ both _ banned.”

“No, no, it was definitely Ben. Looks like me except way less trustworthy…”

A choked noise came from somewhere to Kylo’s left. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he caught Rey covering her mouth with her hand, her cheeks cherry-red. 

“Out. Now,” the man ordered. “Your friend can stay, but you have to go."

"We're going," Rey assured him, still biting back a grin as she hugged Kylo’s arm to her chest and pulled him towards the exit. He pleaded and pouted mostly for her amusement as she steered him out of the arcade.

“What? I didn’t break it _ again! _ I didn’t break anything! Come on...”

Once safely outside, she released his arm and dissolved into a fit of laughter. 

"Oh...My god! I can't...I can't believe he recognized you!"

“I can’t believe he’s still working there,” he chuckled. “That’s almost twenty years!” 

Sad, sad, sad. He’d _ never _ end up like that, despite what _ some _ people said. His band would take off. Soon. Eventually. 

“So...” He cleared his throat, thinking back to their bet. “Neither of us won the game, so what should we do about the ‘prizes’? Replace them for participation awards?”

“I guess we could go with that. I am a millennial, after all,” she teased. “But what would these participation awards be?”

He hoped she’d say they should both get their prizes. He’d break the bank essentially paying for a kiss, but it’d be worth it. More than worth it. 

A wicked grin appeared on her lips as she snapped her fingers and asked, “How about I have to buy your first drink and you have to give _ me _ a kiss?”

Wait what? _ She _ would buy _ him _ a drink...and let him kiss her? So he was getting what he wanted in the first place plus free booze? 

_ This is the GREATEST moment of my life _. 

“Sounds perfectly fair to me...” His hand rubbed over his mouth to hide a face-breaking grin. It shrunk back to a reasonable size once he composed himself, though he couldn’t stop glancing at her lips. “I’d be down for that free drink right now, but when do you want _ your _ trophy? Should I try and make it a surprise?”

“Definitely make it a surprise,” she told him, a smile dancing on her lips. “Let’s head to Cantina, then. It’s still a bit early, but why not?”

* * *

When Rey told Kylo she wanted the kiss to be a surprise, her mirth only magnified at his panicked expression. She hoped to get a drink or two in him before it happened; not that he needed any persuasion, but it might be a bit safer to loosen him up first. With how _ passionate _ he’d gotten in the arcade, she feared a too-fierce kiss might land her with an accidentally split lip. 

Not that a fierce kiss sounded all that bad. 

_ Curb your enthusiasm... _ she warned herself. _ You still have to live with this man. _ And _ his brother. Better to be more careful than not. _

The last thing she needed was for her and Kylo to start something, then for it to go up in flames, and then for her to be left without a place to stay. Better to keep things cute and casual for the foreseeable future.

_ Asking your roommate-slash-landlord to casually sleep in your bed with you in order to keep your night terrors away isn't exactly cute or casual... _ that little voice reminded her, and she pursed her lips.

“I’ll slip you the money to order a margarita, and I’ll get myself a Shirley Temple,” she said. Chewing at her lip, she amended, “Or... If it’s alright with you and, y’know, doesn’t make you uncomfortable or anything, I’ll try ordering a margarita first. Sometimes I can get away with just looking like I’m of age. If they card me, I just say I forgot my ID and won’t make a fuss about drinking something non-alcoholic. But only if you’re okay with it.”

Waving a hand, he said, "The Cantina only cards people who look like actual children, trust me. I was eighteen when I got my first drink here. And Dad was fourteen. Or so he claimed. But hey, you could get away with anything in the 80's, so I buy it…”

“Fourteen? He sounds like a real rebel kid,” she chuckled. 

“Yeah, he never quite grew out of that…”

Rey liked hearing about Kylo and Ben’s parents since they were rarely mentioned. No, rare wasn’t even the right word. It was... well, rarer than rare. She still didn’t even know their names… or what happened to them.

When she found her parents, she’d get to have her own stories straight from the source. The idea, as always, warmed her heart, and she refused to acknowledge the cynical twist in her gut. 

A lively Latin beat danced from her ears to her bloodstream as they approached the restaurant. As soon as she stepped inside, the delicious smell of cumin and melting cheese made her stomach rumble, and she made a beeline to two open stools at the bar. 

Per Kylo’s suggestion, she ordered two pomegranate margaritas and grinned when the bartender turned to the blender without question. As soon as their drinks were delivered, she added an order for nachos. 

When she looked back to Kylo, she found his lips already wrapped around the straw, his margarita disappearing at an alarming rate. 

“I was going to propose a toast, but you won’t have anything to toast with,” she teased, tracing her finger around the rim of her own glass.

He cracked a pained smile as he sucked down the last of it. “Ow...Brainfreeze.” 

“Awww.” She pouted sympathetically as he sat back with a wince. Still, it served him right for plowing ahead without her

She signaled over to the bartender, who produced another margarita and slid it over to Kylo. As the glass hit his palm, Rey raised her drink high, grinning wide. “To our epic air hockey tie!”

He lifted his glass with a low chuckle. “And to sugar-loaded drinks and...other epic prizes...” 

Her brow raised knowingly at his toast, and she took a sip while she contemplated it. Did he really consider kissing her an _ epic prize _? Well, he’d been the one to suggest the kiss in the first place.

The thought flattered her for a moment, though her smile faltered when his pocket buzzed, and he pulled out his phone. Oh, no. Was he going to be _ that _ kind of drinking buddy? Spend half of the evening with his eyes glued onto the screen instead of actually talking with her? 

Instead, he took one glance at the screen, scoffed, and jammed his phone back into his pocket. 

“Dare I ask?” she questioned, taking another long sip. 

His eyes flicked to her mouth, and for a moment, just a moment, Rey’s breath caught in her throat. Was he going to kiss her now? While the taste of pomegranate still stained her lips?

He sighed and shook his head, and she tried not to look disappointed. _ Soon. _He’d kiss her soon.

“It’s just Ben being salty that my night’s going better than his.” He inched to the edge of his barstool, and his knee brushed against hers. “So uh...that photography thing, was that just for class credit or is it a serious hobby of yours?”

Her eyes lowered back to his pocket. What, exactly, had Ben texted him? Was he alright? She wanted to ask, but Kylo had already changed the subject. 

“No, it wasn’t just for school. I guess you could say it’s a pretty serious hobby. My scholarships to come study here in the States are because of the portfolio I built while studying back home.”

"Oh. Was there a uh...theme for your portfolio? I don't know if that's the right word for it, but..." 

She played with the condensation on her glass, shrugging one shoulder. "I didn't intend to make one, but all the board reviews said that they liked the uh... Well, they called it the _ 'Waiting Series' _. I didn't get what they meant at first, but they said that every photo gave them the sense that the subject was waiting." 

"Do you have the pictures saved somewhere? Can I see them?" he asked, eyes glinting.

Her stomach churned. She hadn't created the pictures with any real intention; she hadn't even seen what her critics saw until it was pointed out to her. Now the pictures made her feel... Uncomfortable.

“I have a folder of the photos somewhere,” she muttered, and returned to her drink. Hopefully, he’d get drunk enough to forget about it. She’d shoved those pictures into the bottom drawer of her nightstand, not keen to ever look at them again. 

_ Bzz, bzz _. 

Glancing to Kylo with a raised brow, she fished out her phone. 

Biting her lip, she glanced between her date and the screen. "I think I should reply."

His eyes narrowed as he shook his head. "Don't humor him, it's none of his business where you are. It's not like he's your boyfriend...come on, you don’t have to say anything back--”

Too late. 

Kylo groaned and slumped over the bar. She offered her phone to let him read the whole message, but he barely looked at it, bitterly sipping his drink instead. 

“It’s not a big deal,” she said. “He’s probably just hungry and wanted to know where we were just in case we were planning to eat together.” 

She didn’t exactly believe her own words, but it was fair enough. 

Putting her phone away, she reached for her drink and finished it off. Perfect timing, too, as the nachos arrived. She clapped her hands together, more than excited to dig in, and asked the bartender for a lime margarita this time. Before he went to make Rey's drink, Kylo called after him. 

"And four shots of Patron!"

The man nodded, and Kylo swiveled back in his stool to reach for a chip.

"_ Four shots _?" Rey asked, blinking owlishly. Spaced out over the course of a couple hours, four shots of Patron was enough to get her drunk. Taken all at once, it would knock her on her ass. But then again... 

She glanced up and down Kylo's body, taking in his build, his frame, his muscles... "Must be nice to not be a lightweight."

He caught her eyes roving over him, and he returned her full-body scan without an ounce of shame. "I wish I was a lightweight, it'd be much less expensive.”

“Mm, fair enough.” 

When the shots arrived, Kylo’s hands came together in a semi-clap, semi-prayer before he snatched one of the glasses. 

"Are you really going to do all of those right now?" she asked, awe in her voice as she eyed the tequila.

"I _ could _...but you're welcome to have some. I can always get more," he said, offering her the glass with a grin. 

She eyed the shot, debating. It would move the night along a little quicker, but…

"Which would be more fun to you, watching me get drunk off my ass, or getting drunk off your ass _ with _ me?" he challenged.

“Well, when you put it that way...” she teased, mischief dancing in her eyes as she took the shot. “Cheers!”

When the glass touched her lips, her face screwed up, the bitter taste burning down her throat and ripping through her chest. She floundered for a lime and bit down hard on the wedge. The sour tang exploded across her tongue, bringing instant relief. 

While Kylo took his own shot (or shots, rather), the alcohol seeped into her system, and a warm, red tinge found its home in her cheeks. Her body felt lighter and more comfortable after another few minutes. Leaning an elbow on the bar, she grabbed a fistful of chips, munching on them one at a time as Kylo proposed a question. 

“Ever played truth or drink?” 

“Hm...No, but I’m game.” Grinning, she shifted so that she could face him better on the bar stool. “How do you play?”

With her inhibitions half-forgotten, she allowed her eyes to roam more freely over Kylo’s features. He and Ben were equally handsome. One in a more nerdy, bookish way, the other in a bad-boy troublemaker way…and whichever one was closest at the moment would always be her favorite. 

Kylo’s eyes felt a little heavier on her skin when he gazed at her this time. “It’s exactly what it sounds like...I ask you a question, and you have to answer with complete honesty, or else take a drink. And then you ask me a question.”

“Sounds fun,” she agreed, finger hooked over the rim of her glass.

“So, to start with something easy...what’s your biggest guilty pleasure?”

She paused to consider for a moment before slowly answering, “I guess... I really love those terrible reality T.V. shows.” 

He poked her shoulder with a little snicker. “I _ knew _ that was _ Real Housewives Of Naboo _ I heard playing in your room...” 

Covering her face with her hands, she hastened to explain, “They’re all staged and everything, I know! But the drama is just so juicy...” 

He gave her a reassuring pat on the head. “It’s okay, even super smart girls have to like trash sometimes...” 

She rolled her eyes, batting his hand away, “Amazing, you managed to compliment and insult my taste at the same time...though, you’re right, it is trash.” 

"At least there was a compliment in there. That's more than I give most people.”

Shaking her head, she started, “Alright, my question for you...” 

She thought for a moment, debating. She _ really _ wanted to ask him about his relationship with his brother, but she knew better than to kill the mood so soon. Instead, she settled for something easy, “What did you want to grow up to be when you were a little kid?”

“A roller coaster tester. I’m not even sure that’s a job, but I basically wanted to ride rides all day without waiting in line.”

She barked out a laugh. “Okay, strange, but...that does sound like an amazing job. Maybe. I don’t know, aren’t roller coasters pretty scary?” 

"_ Aren't _ they scary? As in, you don't know?" When she shook her head, his jaw dropped. "Okay, we're going to Mustafar Park, ASAP. Like, tomorrow if I can help it. I can't believe you've gone your whole life without getting on a rollercoaster..."

“Hey, amusement parks aren’t all that popular in the U.K.!” Not that she could have ever afforded to take herself or convince her foster families to take her to the ones that did exist. “The closest Disney park is all the way in bloody France. And you know how we Brits feel about the French.”

He snorted and raised his hands in mock surrender. 

“Okay, I respect your thousand-year war or whatever, but who said you had to go to Disney? I _ know _ there are at least a few little parks in the UK...somewhere..”

“Well, I wasn’t very near those parts. Not near enough the warrant the expense, anyway.” 

He hummed. “Your turn then, what did you want to be when you grew up? A photographer?”

Her stomach flipped as she considered the question. The first job she had ever wanted to have...glancing down, she tried to keep her tone light as she said, “I wanted to be a private investigator. I thought...maybe I’d find my parents faster, or they’d find me, if I was a P.I.” 

Not wanting to elaborate further, she said, “Well, since you asked me the same question that I asked you; what’s _ your _ guilty pleasure?”

"I don't feel guilty about any of my pleasures so it's hard to say..." he responded. When she scoffed at the cop-out, his tone dropped. "I guess _ you're _ my guilty pleasure.”

Her heart shivered against her ribcage. Something in his eyes had darkened, making them look almost…predatory.

She crossed her legs, swallowed, and rolled her eyes again. “You’re so cheesy.” 

His expression brightened so quickly it almost gave her whiplash. “I thought you liked cheesy.” 

When he motioned to their queso-drenched chips with a crooked grin, her head tilted back with a pained groan. “That is just _ terrible! _”

Snickering, he dragged another shot glass over the uneven wood. "Alright, we gotta step this up since no one's asked a question that's forced us to drink.” 

She leaned forward, more than ready to raise the stakes.

"So...what's the craziest thing you've done?” he asked. “Under the influence or otherwise.” 

Pursing her lips, she debated on whether or not to answer. She was rather parched, and the story was a bit complicated, so...she picked up her glass and took a huge gulp. 

“That bad, huh?” 

She shrugged, not bothering to elaborate. “What was the stupidest thing you did when you were in primary school?”

“_ Primary _school? Ah, well, I did quite a lot of stupid things in primary school...” He kept his accent slight at first, but apparently, couldn’t resist going full ham. “A bloody naughty boy indeed, I was, told my maths teacher to sod off when he tried to make me do arithmetic...” 

Bringing her hands to cover her ears, she cried, “Oh, god, stop it! My ears are bleeding! You’re horrid!” 

“‘You’re _ horrid, _’” he mimicked, leaning in to bump her shoulder. 

When he didn’t pull back afterwards as he usually did, her cheeks grew hotter at the proximity, and her eyes met his through her lashes. Was he finally going to...?

No, not yet. He broke into another chuckle and, dropping the accent, finally answered her question. “In all honesty, the stupidest thing I did was probably when I pretended to be Ben while he was sick and crashed his field trip to the planetarium. I didn’t think about it being a field trip for a _ science _ club, where I was expected to give a presentation, and I forgot to bring his stupid diorama with me...”

Her eyes went wide. “Woah, you actually pretended to be Ben? I thought that whole Parent Trap switching of the twins was just in movies…”

“Oh, the switching is very real. For us, anyway. Or me, rather. He’s never tried to steal my identity...which is pretty insulting, to be honest…”  
  
“How angry was he?”

He gave a dismissive wave. “Eh, he was mainly mad he didn’t get to go and I did. He’d already arranged to make his presentation and get his precious A-plus as soon as he could come back to school, so it wasn’t like he got penalized for anything. But he still wasn’t satisfied until Mom took him to the planetarium later without me.” 

“And this was only one time you impersonated him? I can only imagine the kind of mischief you got up to,” she teased as a hundred humorous scenarios spun through her mind. 

“Oh, I’ll tell you all about the rest, one of these days…”Glancing to his remaining shots, he circled his finger around the rim of one as he contemplated his next question. 

“What was your first kiss like?” 

_ Finally. _ She’d started to fear he wasn’t as keen on this kiss as she was. “I’m afraid it’s not very interesting. I was in prim-- _ elementary _ school, and there was a boy I fancied who fancied me. We kissed a couple times on the playground, but it was all rather innocent. And then, well, puberty came about and he turned into a right prick. When he pinched my butt in front of all his buddies, I knocked him down and never spoke to him again.” 

“I would’ve beaten him up for that, if I’d gone to school with you,” he muttered, halfway teasing and halfway serious.

“How about yours, then? Except... I want to know when your first _ real _ kiss was like. You know, your first passionate one.” 

Grinning wolfishly, she wiggled her eyebrows, but they flew to her hairline when he knocked back his shot without hesitation. A first kiss wasn’t usually _ that _ bad. Her curiosity was piqued, but prying wasn’t part of the game. 

“My turn…” He grimaced a bit from the shot, then looked back to her with half-lidded eyes and an intoxicated smile. “Are you having as much fun with me as I am with you?”

Her eyes flicked down to his lips as he spoke, her flush growing. 

“I suppose I might be.” Before she second-guessed herself, she blurted out, “How many partners have you had? Romantically?”

His gaze dropped to the floor and he bit his lip. “One.”

Just one? That person must have been very special. With Kylo’s rather outgoing personality and bad-boy vibe, she’d expected a lengthy rundown of romances, flings, one night stands... 

But she was inexplicably relieved to hear that he _ hadn’t _. 

“One _ so far _, that is…” he amended, meeting her gaze. 

She swallowed thickly as her heart began a heavy rhythm in her chest. Trying for nonchalance, she said, “Hmm, I see...”

More questions buzzed in her head, but rather than voicing them, she sipped the boozey slush gathered at the bottom of her glass. “It’s your turn.”

He took his time to answer, grabbing another chip as he stared emptily at the neon lights overhead. 

“What’s your honest opinion of Ben?”

She blinked. They hadn’t yet chatted about Ben, not directly anyway. She’d figured any comments about his brother were off-limits. Though Kylo was the one who brought it up, she wasn’t sure if she should reply or not. Her eyes strayed to her glass. Should she take a drink, or would her unwillingness to answer make Kylo tense?

Speaking slowly, she searched for a diplomatic answer that hopefully wouldn’t sour his mood. “I think he’s very kind, though a bit anti-social at times. I don’t really know what’s going on in his head most of the time, but he’s a good housemate and... yeah.” 

She shrugged lamely, then voiced the question that had weighed on her mind since she’d moved in. 

“Why do you two live together if you don’t really…get along?”

His hand immediately slid towards his last shot, but paused before his fingers touched the glass. Slowly, he leaned back, still avoiding her gaze as he rubbed his neck. Maybe she’d crossed a line with her question. It wasn’t really her business why they lived together, but she was _ so _ curious.

"We used to be close. Really close," he sighed. "And he's the only family I have left, so… I don't know if I could ever leave him." 

She swallowed thickly as she mulled over his words. Why weren’t they close anymore? Gods, she hoped it wasn’t because of her... 

He went silent for a long moment, then grabbed his last shot and threw it back. 

"Last question: want to get out of here?"

The cool, quiet air outside was a welcome reprieve when they exited. As she looked up to ask Kylo what they should do next, she found his eyes trained on her lips. She only had time for one breath before he swooped in. 

Though she had known, in the back of her mind, the kiss was coming, he still managed to catch her by surprise. The entire time they had been in the bar, she’d waited on bated breath for him to kiss her, but it never happened. Of course he’d pounce right as she let her guard down.

His arms pulled her into a tight embrace as his mouth crashed against hers. The kiss was a bit rough, and messy, but she didn’t mind much in her intoxicated state. His lips were warm and plush, surprisingly soft. A shiver electrified her spine as the tip of his tongue swept over her lips. He tasted of tequila and pomegranate and something she couldn’t quite place. Her stomach clenched deliciously as he growled against her, and she gasped when he ripped himself away. 

He released her just as quickly as he’d grabbed her, breathless and flushed as he stepped back. "Sorry, I uh...got a bit excited there.”

Her breath came in soft pants as she looked at him dazedly, before a smile appeared on her lips. “Don’t be sorry.”

Her eyes flicked down to his lips again when he grinned, and they moved toward each other, but before she could lean in for another kiss there was a call from down the street, “Get a room already!” 

Rancorous laughter deepened the blush on Rey’s cheeks. While she threw a glare over towards the hecklers, Kylo screamed back without a moment's hesitation.

"We'll get a room when you get a fucking life!" 

The laughter tripled in volume, and he snarled, taking half a step towards the group. Before she could stop him, he stopped himself.

“Forget it…” Breathing in deep through his nose, he faced her and slung his arm around her waist. "Let's go home."

She pressed herself into his side and grinned up at him. “Sounds good to me.” 

"You should know that was the _ peak _ of my self-control. It's only downhill from here.”

“Well, it was nice while it lasted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone! Julia and I are back. So sorry for the delay getting this chapter out. TROS put us both through it, so it's taken some time for us to get our motivation back. Please continue enjoying this story! We appreciate you!


	6. [Search: How To Clean Up Broken Glass]

Only when Kylo stopped to dig his keys from his pocket did he notice the light beaming through the living room window. Shit. Ben was still awake... 

_ Whatever. He's not going to do anything _ , Kylo told himself as he unlocked the door.  _ He's just going to ignore us and hope that Rey has a thing for passive-aggressive pussies... _

His jaw dropped when they stepped inside. The floor lamp had crashed to the hardwood, the tiny shards from the broken lightbulb mixed in with thicker pieces from a shattered bottle of Hennessy. The whole room reeked of whiskey. Before Kylo could shout for his brother, Ben staggered out from his bedroom, one hand gripping the doorframe as he stared them down.

"Couldn't afford a hotel room or just didn't have the consideration?"

"Jesus  _ fuck _ , Ben!" Kylo's hands flew to the back of his head as he gaped at the wreckage. "I slam a door and you lecture me about having an anger problem but then you do this? What the fuck is wrong with you!?" 

“What in the world happened here? How much did you drink?” Rey asked, looking around with furrowed brows.

Ben glared at Kylo through the disheveled hair falling in his face before his head slowly swung towards Rey. 

"Does it matter? How much've  _ you _ had to drink?" 

" _ We _ had enough to have a good time, not enough to destroy the whole fucking apartment," Kylo snapped as he stepped between them. "You're such a prick, you know that? Can't let me be happy for  _ one _ night without ruining it with your jealous bullshit---" 

"You're one to talk!" Ben seethed. 

"--but you know what, I hope you're happy, because you ruined  _ her _ night, too.” Kylo jabbed a finger at Rey, emphasizing his point. "Is that what you wanted? Is that how you make a good impression? Then keep it up, because all you're doing is helping  _ me." _

"At least I finally got your attention!”

Rey sighed behind him. “Guys, I think... I think we should just all go to bed. Forget about this.”

Kylo’s expression softened for the few seconds he turned to face her. "It's okay, just go to your room, I'll deal with this..." 

Ben pushed off from the doorframe and stepped towards Kylo, leaving no more than five inches between them. "I don't even  _ exist _ for you anymore unless I'm doing something to piss you off." 

"What are you talking about, you're the one who started ignoring  _ me _ soon as Rey showed up--" 

"You're the one who posted the ad! You were bored with me, admit it!”

"I posted the ad as a  _ joke!  _ I didn't expect this to happen anymore than you did, and you know it! If you were just pissed about me 'ignoring' you, you would've kicked her out from day one! But you didn't, you wanted the same fucking thing I did, you went as far as I did to get it, and now you're crying because you lost. Don't even pretend this is about me--" 

His words stuttered in his throat as Ben's hands came down on his chest, and he stumbled back a step. 

"Don't you dare tell me what my feelings are about," Ben spat through clenched teeth, arms tensed and knuckles white. "Just because you can replace me so easily doesn't mean everyone else is that selfish."

Kylo dragged his hands over his face. “Oh my  _ god, _ why is this so hard to explain to you?! I only started ‘replacing’ you because you pulled away first—“ 

He stopped when Rey brushed past him. His chest clenched as he feared she might leave, but his eyes narrowed as they followed her into the kitchen. Her movements were eerily calm. What was she up to? 

When Ben slurred out another retort, Kylo grabbed him by the shoulder, tugging him further into the living room and away from Rey. 

“Shh, shh, shut  _ up _ . Look, if you care about her at all, we’ll talk about this later. Or beat the hell out of each other, whatever. But not while she’s here.” 

“She deserves to know...” Ben growled as he shoved Kylo’s hand away. 

“If you still think that’s a good idea when you’re sober, fine, you have fun explaining  _ this _ to her.” Kylo gestured sharply between them and glanced over his shoulder. Rey was still out of sight. 

When he looked back to Ben, he found his eyes bloodshot, glassy from booze and weighed down with dark circles. For a moment, Kylo forgot to be angry with him. All he could think about was how Ben looked so much like this when their parents died, furious at God and in desperate need of comfort. Kylo was the only one who could provide that for him. 

But not anymore. He was the enemy now, the selfish prick who’d pushed him aside and stolen the first girl he actually cared about. Two betrayals in one fell swoop. How was he supposed to make up for that? 

“I know what I’m doing...I’ll tell her now, I’ll...” Ben muttered under his breath until Rey appeared behind Kylo, and his jaw clenched tight. 

She eyed them a bit before saying, “I’ve made tea. It might be good to get water in your systems.”

Ben took a step back, head hung low as his fingers grasped at his hair. Kylo could practically read his thoughts. Looked like a strong case of:  _ Fucking hell, I’m an actual disaster and she made me tea, what’s wrong with me, what’s wrong with me, what’s wrong with me... _

It only took a second for him to crack. He stumbled into his bedroom without a single word, and Kylo sighed as he watched him go. 

“It’s okay,” he told Rey. “I’m sure he appreciates it, that’s just what he does when he’s....overwhelmed.” 

“It’s alright...I understand. I’ve seen it a lot before,” she admitted, “I have a bit of experience dealing with people under the influence.” 

“He’s not normally like this when he’s drunk. I mean, he’s not normally drunk at all, but...” He trailed off as his gaze dropped to the glass strewn about the floor. If he so much as tripped, he’d end up in the ER. “Uh...you’d better not come through here until I clean this up.”  
  
He tried not to crunch more glass under his shoes as he tiptoed over to Rey. He’d hardly cleaned a day in his life, but Ben was in no shape to tackle his own mess, and he wasn’t about to make Rey handle it herself.

She raised a brow as she brought her gaze back to his. “I’m wearing shoes. Here, I’ll help.”

He shook his head. “Not your responsibility. It’s my stupid brother, my mess to deal with—I’m just happy you didn’t run out the door.” 

“It’ll take a bit more than yelling to drive me away.” With a small smile, she placed her tea on the coffee table and grabbed the broom and dustpan from the closet. “What would you rather do? Hold the pan or sweep?”

God, she was nice. Maybe he could use the help. He wasn’t half as drunk as Ben, but his coordination was still a little off.

“I’ll hold the pan,” he finally relented. “Don’t want to accidentally smack you in the face with the broom…”

When she handed him the pan, his nose wrinkled as he bent next to the shards, where alcohol had soaked into the floorboards. Smelled like their father’s favorite brand of whiskey.

“I’m sorry about this.” Kylo rarely apologized for his own mistakes, let alone the faults of others, but ‘sorry’ was all he could think to say. “I should've just invited him along. I don’t know if it would’ve helped, but obviously, he requires more attention than I thought…”

Shaking her head, she shushed him. “Hey...don’t do that to yourself. It’s not your fault.” 

He shrugged. ”Eh, it’s both our faults.”

After working in silence for a moment, she said, “Well, I’ll be working a lot these next couple of days. Maybe you and Ben should...I don’t know, talk it out a bit more when you’re both sober and calmer.”

His lips pursed as he pushed the pan around, carefully gathering the shards. “I’d like to, but it depends on him. When he shuts down, he  _ really _ shuts down.” 

“I have faith that you’ll be able to get through to him.”

His gaze softened at her gentle encouragement. After controlling his temper in the face of so much agitation---and with a belly full of tequila, no less---he felt more confident in his skills of civility than ever. Seemed Rey had made him a regular diplomat tonight.

But that didn’t mean he had a clue on what to say to Ben tomorrow. He sure as hell wasn't about to give Rey up. And as for his and Ben’s _complicated _relationship…things couldn't go back to the way they were. Not with her around. If she knew, they'd both lose her. 

Once all the glass was gone, Rey looked around and sighed. “I say we mop up the kitchen and call it a night. We can deal with the carpet in the morning.”

Sounded reasonable enough to him. He grabbed the swiffer from the closet, but frowned as he tried to figure out how to use it. “Uh...I’ve never worked one of these before, do I press something or...?”

Chuckling, she took it from his hand and cheekily asked, “How did you two even survive before?” 

He broke into a tiny smile and shrugged. "Leaning on Ben, mostly...he can handle cleaning well enough---when he's not blackout drunk." 

He stood aside as Rey ran the swiffer over the floor until it was no longer a slipping hazard. The only help he could offer was to toss the used mat when she was done, then shove the cleaning supplies back in the closet.   
  
Her jaw cracked in a yawn as her drooping eyes turned on him. “Alright, then. I think we all need a bit of sleep.”

"Do you um...want company?" He tried his best to keep any suggestive inflection from his tone. "I mean for the nightmares. Just to sleep better."

She bit her lip, silent for a long moment as her gaze flicked to Ben’s door. 

“Thanks for the offer, Kylo, but...I don’t usually get nightmares when I’ve been drinking, so I think tonight is safe.” 

Right. Because alcohol was known to make sleep _ less _ weird, not more. And this totally had nothing to do with his brother. 

But whatever. It wasn’t like he could blame her for wanting to be alone. If he was in her place, he wouldn’t want to be with him, either.   
  
“Okay.” He swallowed, forced an expression that almost resembled a smile, and turned on his heel. “Goodnight.” 

He’d taken just one step towards his door when a hand grasped his shoulder and soft lips landed on his cheek. Eyes wide, he turned to find her grinning sheepishly up at him. She scurried off into her room before he could say a word, and he was left alone, swaying between his door and Ben’s. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Jessa here. Sorry updates haven't been as consistent as we'd promised. This chapter is shorter, but the next one is going to be very fun. ;)


	7. [Inquiry: Quickest Remedy for a  Hangover?]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourselves, Benlo ahead!

"Ugh..." 

The ceiling spun for a moment as Ben's eyes cracked open. His tongue felt like sandpaper and his head pounded as if someone had put a jackhammer against it. 

God...what happened? Did he get hit by a car or something? No...no, he was in his room, not a hospital bed. Had to be the hangover from hell. He'd  _ never _ had one like this before, not even after his 21st birthday, when Kylo had pushed him into taking 21 shots over a period of 21 hours.... 

Kylo… he was here. Fast asleep and drooling over the plaid pillows of Ben's bed. Had they....? No, that was absurd, they were both clothed---though Ben didn't remember putting his pajamas on. In fact, he didn't remember much of anything. 

"Kylo...?" He whispered, nudging his brother's shoulder until his eyes fluttered open. 

"What...?" Kylo groaned as he rolled to face him fully. "Oh good, you're not dead..." 

"Not dead? What happened?" 

"Does Hennessy ring a bell for you?" 

Ben rubbed his eyes, wincing as he shook his head. Kylo snorted and stretched out his body like a cat's. 

"You drank a whole fucking bottle. And trashed the apartment. That's what happened." 

"But  _ why _ would I do that? And why are you in my bed?" If Ben had gotten himself plastered, he'd sooner expect Kylo to let him choke on his own bile than keep watch while he slept. 

Kylo squinted at the ceiling, lips pursed. He always looked like that when he was in deep thought. Debating---or scheming. After a long pause, he sighed, and met his brother's gaze head on. 

"I slept with Rey." Before Ben could put his fist through Kylo's face, the latter held up his hands to stop him. "Hold on, hold on, I mean  _ literally _ sleeping. To help with her nightmares, just like you did. Anyway, you saw it, made some assumptions, and got all sulky, so Rey and I spent the day together. And we uh...we went on a date. You didn't react to that too well."

"Now I remember..." Ben grumbled, bits and pieces of the day before flashing behind his eyes. "You're such a dick...." 

"Please, like you wouldn't go out with her if it had been the other way around...but I am sorry for not inviting you." Kylo still thought that would've ended in disaster, but that was beside the point... 

"Well, I'm sorry for wrecking the living room then, or whatever else I did that I can't remember..." Ben sighed, looking over him for a long moment before his brows came together. "You haven't apologized for anything in  _ years _ . And if you went on a date with Rey...that's it then, isn't it? You got everything you wanted. So why are you in  _ my _ bed and not hers?" 

"Because she didn't want me there. She didn't say so, but I know she was thinking of you." 

Ben's eyes widened at that, heart fluttering for a second before Kylo continued, "And besides...I  _ don't _ have everything I wanted. I miss you."

Ben couldn't believe his ears. Given his memory from the night before had been all but obliterated, the idea of Kylo being  _ nice _ to him, let alone  _ missing _ him, hit him completely out of left field. 

"Wh-what? But you've been ignoring me for months, it's always been Rey, Rey, Rey---"

"Again, I could say the same for you," Kylo sighed. "Listen, when you... _ lost it _ last night, you weren't just pissed because I got to be with her and you didn't. I know you missed me, too. So...can we just skip the bullshit already and admit what we  _ really _ want here?" 

Ben wrinkled his nose, inching away from his brother. He knew what 'skip the bullshit' meant in Kylonese. It meant he was about to propose some ridiculous idea, probably something scandalous that would fuck up their whole lives, and Ben wasn't in the mood. Before he could squirm all the way out of the bed though, Kylo grabbed him by the forearm. 

"Uh-uh, no fucking way. We're  _ talking _ about this, whether you like it or not."

Ben growled low in his throat and yanked his arm out of Kylo's grasp, but he settled back in the sheets. "Fine. What is it that you think 'we' really want then?" 

Kylo wriggled closer to him, lifting a hand to brush Ben's hair out of his eyes. "You want me back...and I want you back, too...I miss you, little brother..." 

Ben shivered at the pet name. He was only about fifteen seconds younger than Kylo, and hated how Kylo lorded that over him when they were children---but when they got older, his twin started using the name in a very different way. 

"So you've said." He cleared his throat since he couldn't quite clear his head. "But what about Rey?" 

"That's the thing. It doesn't have to be one or the other."

"What are you getting at?" 

"You can have both, Ben.... _ we _ can have both." Kylo's lips spread to the edges of his cheeks, mischief gleaming in his eyes as he leaned in closer to Ben, who blushed furiously. "Don't tell me you wouldn't enjoy it." 

"I...it...it doesn't matter,  _ she _ would never---" 

"Oh, I bet she would. I told you, she was thinking of you last night. The twin fantasy isn't just a guy thing, you know." 

"A fantasy is one thing, actually knowing what we've done....what if it disgusts her? What if she leaves us?" Ben's voice choked as Kylo's fingers dove into his hair. 

"She won't. But if she does...good riddance. I'll still have you."

Ben's lips parted, but Kylo didn't give him the chance to protest, yanking him closer before smothering him in an all-consuming kiss. Ben pushed against him as his thoughts blew into a whirlwind, heart hammering against his sternum in a strange mix of familiar excitement and dread of the unknown. Where was Rey? Was she up yet? What if she heard them? 

Reading his thoughts as always, Kylo hissed against his lips, "Don't worry about her...I heard her leave a little while ago...you can be as loud as you want..." 

Ben hesitated, but soon his fists relaxed and his palms slid over his brother's chest. After so many weeks feeling alone, this was all he wanted...to feel loved, to feel wanted...to feel  _ whole _ again.

He had no idea how long it would last. Their sessions didn't usually last more than half an hour before. But now, he could tell several hours passed by the way the mid-afternoon sun beamed in through the window, bathing their pale skin in golden rays as Kylo climbed up over him, red lips swollen and wet. A tiny white droplet clung to the corner of his mouth as he whispered against Ben's neck. 

"It's your turn..."

* * *

_ Note to self: never again. _ Rey thought as she sat at the reception desk of the art gallery. The bright overhead lights stung her eyes. She felt like she was dragging bricks around on her feet. 

“You’re not looking so good there, Peanut.” 

She looked sideways at her supervisor. Her and Finn’s friendship had been an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. Being around him was as easy as breathing. They’d spent a lot of time together, swapping stories and laughing quietly as tourists slowly walked around the gallery. 

“I feel like death warmed over,” she admitted, her voice gravelly. She slumped further into her seat, grimacing as her stomach rolled. 

“Then why don’t you go home and rest up?” asked Finn. “I can get cover for you here.”

Rey shook her head, “I can’t do that to you. I—“ 

“If you go, I guess I’ll have no choice but to call Poe in last-minute...” Finn mused with a deep sigh. When she looked at him, it was impossible to not notice the little twinkle in his eye. 

Rey chuckled, shaking her head. “Oh, I  _ see.  _ What a shame it would be to have to call your boyfriend to come cover for me...”

She was on her way out the door ten minutes later. After a short commute home, she quietly stepped through the threshold of the flat. The door closed behind her with a satisfying  _ click _ . Dropping her bag, she rolled her neck with a satisfied sign. Her mission was plain and simple; nap time. 

She’d barely stepped a foot past her door when she heard a noise from Ben’s room. 

_ What was that...? _

Heat began to creep up her collarbones and over her cheeks as the noises continued. She might not have much experience, but she wasn’t a saint. 

And these noises...she had definitely heard them before.

Was Ben with a girl? He wasn’t dating. At least, as far as she knew. A bootycall, then? She didn’t imagine Ben would have Tinder on his phone, but he’d surprised her before. 

Curiosity spurred her forward, even as logic told her to turn back now. Stepping forward on silent feet, she held her breath and listened closely. 

_ “Kylo...” _

She blinked. Did Ben just...moan his brother’s name? No, that was impossible. Her curiosity pressed her even more. Laying a hand against the door, it swung an inch open on blessedly silent hinges. 

_ Don’t do this, Rey. You’re being a creepy psycho right now. Why are you looking in your roommate’s bedroom when something is obviously going on?! _ Logic was not doing a good job at controlling her limbs. Breath caught, she leaned forward to peer through the crack in the door and her wide eyes met the most confusing,  _ erotic _ sight she’d ever seen. 

Ben, looking spent and sated and very much  _ naked _ , sliding down Kylo’s (also very naked) body, taking his cock, and— Rey inhaled a sharp gasp when Ben’s mouth enveloped Kylo whole. She quickly stepped away from the door and put her back on the wall, praying they hadn’t heard her. 

Because if they had heard her, they would stop. And she really,  _ really _ didn’t want them to stop.

_ This is...this is...this is... _ she couldn’t think. The soft moaning continued, and once she was sure she hadn’t been caught she peeked into the crack again. The louder Kylo became, the more her throat dried and impossible heat spread in her abdomen. Clenching her thighs together, she exhaled softly as the pressure eased. 

Ben worked over Kylo’s cock, teasing him with gentle sucks and licks before Kylo wove his fingers through his hair and pushed himself into Ben’s mouth. Kylo’s pale chest heaved, glistening with sweat. His adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed harshly, gasps and moans falling from his lips as Ben took him deep.

The pieces of the puzzle clicked into place.

She knew why the tension between the brothers had been steadily growing over the last few months, why Kylo drank instead of telling her about his first passionate kiss, why Ben was so insanely  _ jealous _ last night...

Last night...Kylo kissed her last night. The taste of him lingered on her lips. She’d felt it; he’d wanted her. Did he only want her because he hadn’t been able to have Ben? Or did he like her, too? 

The revelation brought with it so many questions that her head was spinning. She could, and would, attempt to answer them later. Right now, at this moment, all she wanted to see was the expression on Kylo’s face as he came down his brother’s throat.

* * *

Eyes half lidded and fixed on his brother's, Ben dragged his tongue along the underside of Kylo's cock. It twitched as Kylo let out a low hiss. Ben teased his brother for a little longer, brushing his lips over the head, until Kylo's hand snaked through his hair and pushed him down. He didn't resist. His mouth opened wide to take him as Kylo thrusted deep, all the way to the hilt. The corners of his eyes stung and he gagged a little, out of practice after so many weeks apart, but he soon adjusted, relaxing his throat and breathing through his nose between thrusts. 

"Mm, you take it so well..." Kylo groaned, rolling his hips and watching his cock disappear past Ben's lips a few more times before he relaxed his hold, letting Ben take control. He leaned back against the headboard with a breathy sigh, eyes almost closed....until he saw a crack in the door. 

It hadn't been open a second ago. He didn't see Rey past the crack, but he knew she was there. That little voyeur...why was she hiding from him? Not wanting to alert Ben by overtly calling out to her, he called out for his brother instead, letting moans fall from his lips at a louder and louder volume. 

" _ Ben _ ...! Oh, fuck-!  _ Ye-e-es...! _ Don't stop!  _ Don't fucking stop! _ "

_ Come on, Rey...look...you know you want to... _ Kylo thought as his fingers curled in the sheets, thighs shaking as Ben swirled his tongue around the head of his cock. 

“Mmm....!” 

Kylo couldn’t tell who moaned that time. Their voices were identical, like everything else about them. His eyes, half-closed and glazed with lust, fell on Ben’s again, and stayed there until the pressure in built to an almost agonizing point. 

His chest heaved as his fingers tangled in Ben’s hair, holding him still while he threw his head back with a final, strangled cry. He locked eyes with Rey through the crack in the door the moment he came. The shock of seeing her sent another bolt of electricity down his spine, prolonging his orgasm to the point he thought he’d never stop spilling into his brother’s waiting mouth. Ben groaned and swallowed every drop, none the wiser to his hidden audience. 

Jaw slack and hips bucking, Kylo kept his blackened gaze on Rey, even when the last wave faded and Ben pulled away with a shaky laugh. 

“Damn, Kylo...that was a lot....and I already finished you off twice...” 

Kylo looked back to Ben before he noticed anything off, and a smirk played on his lips as he pulled his twin up to kiss him. 

“You’re just that talented, little brother...”

Kylo had been so preoccupied with the breathless look on Rey’s face through the crack that he just barely noticed the movement of her hand below. He didn’t glance quick enough to  _ see _ her touch herself, but he suspected she did. That thought would’ve instantly made him hard again if he wasn’t already sore and spent. 

“Thank you, Ben,” he murmured against his brother’s lips between kisses, sneaking another peek up to the door to find Rey had disappeared. ‘Course she had. 

“To be continued...I really need a shower,” he said as he stood from the bed. Ben pouted a bit as he watched him pull on his boxers. 

“You going to your room?” 

“Mmhm.” 

“Save water, shower with me,” Ben said, sliding off the mattress and pulling him into a loose embrace. Kylo itched to go to Rey’s room, to see how much she liked what she saw, but he couldn’t deny his brother. Not when he was being so cute and needy. 

Thirty minutes later, Kylo finally got the excuse to go to his room for clean clothes. After throwing on a fresh T-shirt and jeans, he peered into the hallway, making sure Ben wasn’t watching before he crept to Rey’s room. 

She hadn’t knocked, so neither did he. He pushed open the door with only enough self-control to keep it quiet before he slipped inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Jessica here! First I want to extend an apology for the massive delay in updating! Life took a crazy turn for both Julia and I, which I'm sure a lot of you can relate to. So, as a gift, I'm dropping the final three chapters ASAP! They'll hopefully all be posted in the next hour or so, leading us to the conclusion of this story! Thank you all so much for reading. Enjoy!


	8. [Inquiry: What Did I Just See?]

The mental image Kylo’s face screwing up in pleasure was definitely going to be ingrained in Rey’s mind forever. He looked beautiful; panting, sweating, chords in his neck flexing and his jaw tight. Her own breath was growing ragged, and clenching her thighs was now doing little to relieve the pressure between them. 

It was wrong. So, so wrong, but her hand was traveling south before she even knew it. Her fingers pressed against her clit, and she bit her lip hard to suppress a moan. 

Then, Kylo was coming, fingers threaded through Ben’s hair, and Rey whimpered oh-so-softly, her fingers now working furiously. Her entire body lit on fire, eyes wide, and then Kylo’s gaze was locked with hers. Her entire body went rigid, but she didn’t miss how he shuddered with pleasure when their eyes met. Her knees threatened to give.

When Ben lifted his head and Kylo tore his eyes from her, she came crashing back to earth. She ripped her hand from inside her pants, mortification coloring her cheeks, even as her body protested furiously. 

Quickly, silently, she rushed into her room and closed the door softly behind her, leaning back against it and releasing a shuddering breath.

Gods, that had been the most erotic thing she’d had ever seen. Never mind the “wrongness” of it. They were brothers, true, which should have made the whole thing creepy and gross, but...but she just couldn’t feel disgusted. 

They had looked amazing together. Two perfect bodies, complexly in sync, gorgeous, with breathless faces and deep groans and—

She needed a cold shower.  _ Now _ . Moving on shaky legs toward the door of her bathroom, she reached for the temperature control and bit her lip. Her eyes glanced up toward the detachable shower head. Her body was still aching. Stepping into the tub, she couldn’t resist turning the temperature to just the right warmth and aiming a gentle jet just where she needed it most. 

It took moments before she was coming with a soft cry, though the temporary satisfaction did nothing to quell the desire. Biting her lip, she kept her aim, abdomen spasming several minutes later as she came again. Her vision was swimming as she came back to earth, but the itch was manageable now.

With a shaky sigh she turned the water off, stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Hair dripping, she entered her bedroom and froze when she saw her door open and Kylo step through. 

Her eyes widened, heat flaring to her cheeks at the sight of him. Swallowing thickly, she decided that playing dumb would be ridiculous, considering they had locked eyes while he’d been mid-coitus. 

“Looks like you and Ben made up rather nicely.”

“Yes, we did,” he hummed, nudging the door closed behind him with his foot before he advanced on her. “It turned you on, didn’t it? That why you needed a cold shower? Or was it so I wouldn’t hear you touching yourself, thinking about us?”

Her throat was dry as she swallowed, staring up at him with wide eyes and a thundering heart. She inhaled sharply when he advanced on her, taking several steps backwards. She didn’t fear him, but this was an entirely new situation and she needed a bit of distance in order to keep a clear head. 

Though he didn’t waste any time at all, did he? She gripped the towel around her chest tightly, deciding it was better to avoid his questions as she asked, “So that, uh, that was what Ben meant when he said he was jealous. Because you two have been... For how long, exactly?”

“It’s half of what he meant...and if you’re strictly asking when our sexual relationship started, it was when we started  _ wanting _ sexual things. So...roughly thirteen?” he guessed with a small shrug. “But even before that, he and I always had a special bond...”

“Wow,” she breathed, the heat on her cheeks refusing to abate, especially when assaulted with the tantalizing mental image of Kylo and Ben experimenting with each other.

“So you’re, uh, both gay, then?” she asked. She didn’t really suspect Kylo of being completely gay. At least, not with the way he kissed her last night. Unless... unless it was only because she was the first woman he’d ever kissed, and he wanted to see if he was into it. That thought was a bit disheartening, but she figured it best to lay all the cards on the table.

He snorted. “Did I seem gay last night to you? Or any other time I’ve touched you?” 

Her ears tinged red, fingers curling even tighter into the damp fabric of her towel. Even though his question was rhetorical, she shook her head with a small, “Well, no.”

His hand rubbed over his mouth, muffling his chuckle as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I mean, I guess I should be flattered if you think I’m that good of an actor, but...no. I like you. Ben does, too.”

Swallowing dryly again at his admittance, she felt a small bit of confidence surge into her. Meeting his gaze, she said, “I like you, too. Both of you. And— and I liked what I saw. But I, uh, I don’t want to get in the way of you two, or anything. And I didn’t mean to spy, I just— well, I heard noises and I— I don’t know, I just— it’s like my body moved and it’s own—“ she trailed off, having trouble finding the words.

* * *

When she finally made eye contact, his amusement softened, and he took a step closer. He knew she liked him—but it was still good to hear her say it. 

Before he could tease her for worrying about ‘getting in the way’ of something she was at the center of, the door slowly opened behind him. Ben stood there, eyes wide and cheeks red. 

“How much did you see?” 

Kylo sighed as Ben stepped inside. Rey’s mouth gaped open like a fish, so Kylo answered for her. “Enough to know she liked it, that’s what matters.” 

“Well, you obviously weren’t going to tell me when she was watching, so I thought I’d ask her...”

Stammering, Rey said, “Ben, I— I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spy. I just— I never thought, well...”

“It’s fine, I just...I want to know, is all,” Ben said, biting his lip as he waited for her answer. He’d overheard that she liked what she saw, and didn’t want to get in the way of him and Kylo, but he hadn’t heard anything before that. Did she only see them kiss? Did she see more? He had no way of knowing, thanks to his bastard of a brother...but he couldn’t be truly mad at Kylo. Not when things turned out like...well, whatever this was turning into.

“I saw you go down on Kylo,” she murmured quickly, her eyes falling to the floor and a blush spreading to the very tips of her ears. “I really am sorry...”

Ben sucked in a soft breath at that, glancing to Kylo before his brain finally processed how exposed she was. He supposed given the conversation he’d heard before coming in, it didn’t surprise him as much as it should have. Now though, he cleared his throat and took a slow step back, pulling Kylo by the sleeve with him. 

“Seriously, that’s all you came in to ask her?” Kylo scoffed, not letting Ben drag him out of the room just yet. 

“No, I have more questions, I just...think she’d like to get dressed first.” 

“Did you not hear her, she just watched you suck my dick. I think we’re beyond modesty here...”

“Yes, but I have this special ability called comprehending body language, and she does  _ not _ look comfortable right n—“ Ben started to say before Rey spoke up.

“Kylo’s right. It’s, uh, it’s fine.” 

He gawked for a second before stammering. “Oh, o-okay, if you’re sure....” 

They both thought she’d just continue to stand there in her towel. When she stepped away and grabbed her clothes, Kylo’s lips parted in a huge smile, eyes shifting repeatedly to Ben’s as if to ask,  _ Do you know what we’re about to see? _

No, he didn’t. Ever the pessimist, Ben thought she’d step behind the bathroom door or something and change, then come talk to them. 

His eyes went wide as saucers when the towel dropped. They instinctively flickered away for a moment, but then he remembered this was no doubt  _ voluntary _ , that she  _ wanted _ him to look and it was okay for him to look. So look he did, marveling at the constellations of freckles dotting her shoulders and the curve of her back while Kylo lost his mind over her ass. He kept his hands to himself but had to bite back a groan when she bent over to pull up her underwear. He swore he saw a flash of pink. 

By the time she turned around, Ben looked as slack jawed and stupefied as his brother. 

A slight pink hue coloring her cheeks, she asked, “So what happens now? Do you guys just want me to mind my own business and go on as before, or should we talk about, I don’t know, maybe dating or something?”

“Dating, yeah....That was what I was going to suggest...” Kylo murmured, still in a bit of a haze from the images etched into his retinas. Ben recovered faster. 

“Dating, like...all three of us?”

Gnawing the inside of her cheek, Rey nodded. “Well yeah. I mean, you and Kylo already have a relationship, but... well, it’s greedy of me, but I would want to date both of you. And... I feel like that works out well, considering, y'know...” Rey gestured vaguely between them.

“It’s not greedy,” Ben murmured, shaking his head slowly. “If it is, then I am too, I just...wow. I never thought you’d...I mean, last night I didn’t even think  _ he _ wanted...” 

“I think my brother’s trying to say he’s thrilled,” Kylo drawled. “And you’re exactly right...it does work out well. So long as you don’t have anything against dating roommates.” 

“Or the weirdest people you’ve ever met,” Ben added with a nervous chuckle.

Shaking her head, she responded with a simple, “Nope. Don’t have anything against it at all.”

Kylo beamed at her answer, his stance loosening as he brushed his shoulder against Ben’s. “See, what did I tell you...” 

Another breathy laugh escaped Ben as he rubbed the back of his neck, still struggling to believe how this could be real. God, how much time he’d wasted...how much time they’d  _ all _ wasted. 

Chuckling a bit as well, she thought a moment before asking, “So... What are the boundaries? Like, what do we do individually, what do just you guys do, what do we do together...?” She trailed off, quirking a brow.

Ben glanced between her and Kylo. “Uh...I have no idea, you and I haven’t even...” he trailed off there, pursing his lips. He didn’t want to sound like he was demanding a kiss or anything from her right then and there—so Kylo was more equipped to answer the question. 

“I’m fine with any of us doing whatever we want with each other, whenever we want.” He shrugged, then looked to Ben. “Oh, and uh...communication. I think we’d both like to know whenever one of us is getting one-on-one time with you so it doesn’t feel like...uh...” 

“Sneaking around,” Ben finished, and Kylo nodded, flashing another little smile at Rey. 

“Yeah. Spread the love equally and all that...”

Ben swallowed and nodded, calmer now that they were all on the same page. Still, he had a nagging feeling things weren’t quite  _ even _ , that Rey liked him, but not as much as Kylo...after all, he hadn’t been pawing at her for weeks with “accidental” touches, nor had he constantly dropped innuendos around her. She probably saw him as a safe, platonic version of what she already liked looking at... 

“Well, in that case...” She took a step toward Ben, a nervous smile appeared on her lips as she said, “Kylo and I kissed last night. So...”

When Ben glanced over her shoulder, he found Kylo biting his lip, watching them with either anxiety or excitement. He couldn’t quite tell which. Then Rey’s hand was on his chest, and his eyes flashed back to hers, finding her face inches away from his. 

She went on her tiptoes and craned her neck. “If you want to...”

“Yes—yes, I want to...” he stumbled over his whispered words, standing there like an idiot for a long moment before it hit him he had to move first. Oh god, this was his first kiss with anyone other than Kylo, what if he messed it up, what if he’d gotten used to being too rough— 

_ Just fucking do it. _

Kylo didn’t say a word, but his voice echoed in Ben’s head as if he had. Hand trembling as he lifted it, Ben curled his palm against Rey’s jaw, thumb stroking gently over her cheek as his gaze dropped to her mouth. He took one last breath to steady himself before he finally leaned in. His lips ghosted over hers at first, barely enough to feel a thing, before his eyes closed and he kissed her fully.

Cognitively, Kylo knew he wanted this. He’d imagined it enough times, and honestly, it was the only thing that made sense. They all wanted each other, so why not be together? Still, a small part of him coiled up in his belly when Rey and Ben moved closer to each other, and he feared for a second he might not be able to take it. He knew how irrational his emotions could be. What if he still felt jealous, even knowing he’d get them both in his own time? 

As soon as their lips touched, a warm feeling washed over him, and the coil slowly released. This...wasn’t hard to watch. He didn’t even have to think of it as watching  _ himself _ kiss Rey. His heart swelled at the way Ben smiled through the kiss, the way his arms curled around Rey like a treasured object. He looked so relieved, so happy. They  _ both _ looked happy...

Ben‘s lips parted when she kissed him back, his nerves forgotten as he pulled her closer to him. He would’ve taken it further had she not pulled away. His arms remained looped around her as she sunk back on her heels.

She grinned up at him dazedly. “Well, there we go.  _ Spreading the lovin’ _ ... Doesn’t seem like it’ll be that difficult.”

He chuckled with a dreamy look in his eye. “Not difficult at all...” 

Kylo approached then, pressing his palms together as if he were about to take a dive, before he ducked underneath Ben’s arm and re-emerged in the middle of their embrace. 

“You’re ridiculous...” Ben sighed, though he didn’t release his hold, more than happy to have both of them in his arms at once. Kylo just grinned and pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek, then another on Rey’s.


	9. [Search: Bootleg Heathers Starring Kylo Ren]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No sexytime in this chapter, unfortunately! That'll come in the next, we promise! ;) -Jessa

“How about I whip up something for us to celebrate?” Rey asked, glancing between the boys.

Ben gave an enthusiastic nod to her suggestion. His stomach had been aching for hours, but he’d ignored it, given how... _ preoccupied _ he’d been. 

“Ugh,  _ yes _ ,” Kylo groaned in agreement, hand on his belly as if he hadn’t eaten in days. “We’ve worked up quite the appetite, haven’t we, Ben?” 

A flush rose high on Ben’s cheeks and he slipped out of the room, muttering something like “er...no comment” before making his way to the coffee machine. 

A blush to rise high on Rey’s cheeks, as well. Ben’s awkward response was cute, though, and she grinned as she followed him into the kitchen. Rummaging through the shelves, it wasn’t long before she was chopping up vegetables and throwing them in a pan with some Korma sauce. 

As the smell of Indian began to fill the kitchen, Rey glanced between Ben and Kylo with a smile. Everything seemed the same, and yet felt so different. Their dynamics had shifted dramatically, and she was excited for it. 

“So, have either of you ever had girlfriends before?” Rey asked, “Or did you always just stick with each other?”

Ben blew over his coffee to cool it. Looking up from the mug, he gave her a sheepish smile. 

“Girls kind of scared me. I never much wanted anybody else anyway...and Kylo wasn’t smooth enough to catch them.” 

Kylo scoffed, pulling away from where he’d been hovering over Rey’s shoulder to shoot him a playful glare. “I was just having fun, I wasn’t trying to actually  _ catch _ anyone...” 

“Mm, that’s true...if they were easily impressed enough to stay after the flirting stage, you got bored of them pretty quickly.”

“Right, then. So I’m your first girlfriend ever,” Rey said. Inexplicably, she felt  _ pleased _ . 

“Yes, I guess you are,” Ben hummed in an attempt to sound casual, though his smile showed in his eyes. 

“Well, that works for me.” 

When the food was ready, she called them over to the stove to dish up their own plate. Making hers first (so she’d make sure she had any), she grabbed a glass and filled it with water before taking a seat at the table and digging in.

Ben took a bigger helping than usual, almost bigger than his twin’s. They sat on either side of Rey, and wolfed down their food in relative silence before Kylo spoke up. 

“What about going out together? Are we going to be all secretive about it, or...”

Rey paused, forkful of food hanging suspended in the air. “Oh, right. Good question...” Biting her lip, she thought it over. “I mean, my little artsy crowd wouldn’t bat an eye at polyamory. That’s old hat by now, at least with our generation, but...” 

“Oh I know, people can give weird looks over three people being together, but I don’t care about that. I meant the...brother thing,” Kylo said, glancing to Ben.

Chewing her lip, she said, “Yeah, I don’t know about the whole, y’know,  _ brothers _ part of it. The fact that it’s... well, incest. I don’t know if it wouldn’t freak people out as much as a brother and sister, but I don’t know...”

Kylo snorted. “Funny how people might think it’s  _ less _ weird for identical twins to fuck than regular siblings...” 

Ben choked a little at that, covering his mouth with a napkin. 

“We never kissed in public for a reason, Kylo. Or held hands. Or anything.” 

“I know, but...I always wanted to,” Kylo murmured, reaching under the table to touch Ben’s knee. “There’s only one way to prove incest and get arrested for it, and neither of us have the means of making a baby, so...”

Rey flushed, taking a long sip of her water. “I mean, it is New York. I feel like the locals wouldn’t really bat an eye. It just depends on what you’re comfortable with.” 

Noticing her blush, Kylo moved his free hand over to slide over her leg as well, giving her thigh a little squeeze. 

Moving a piece of potato around with her fork, she added nonchalantly, “I have no problem with you two being intimate in public, even with me around. And I don’t have any problem being intimate in public, either. Just— within reason,” she shot that last little addition at Kylo, a smirk curling at the corner of her lips as she knew he was thinking about all the ways he could get them in trouble in public.

“Exactly, no one cares about anything in New York,” he agreed, emphasizing her point for Ben to hear. A dimple formed in his left cheek as his lips spread into a crooked smile at her little warning. “Oh damn, I was  _ really _ looking forward to making an Eiffel Tower in the middle of Central Park...” 

Ben frowned and tilted his head, asking, “What’s an Eiffel Tower...?”

Rey choked on her water. It went straight up her nose, and she coughed and spluttered while she reached for a napkin to wipe at her face.

Kylo’s hand patted firmly against her back when she choked, though he didn't stop himself from cackling at Ben in the process. 

“It’s a sex position, brother, what did you think?” 

Ben turned as red as a chili pepper, sinking in his chair as Kylo elaborated further with a little demonstration. The heel of his left palm pressed against the table. 

“That’s you.” 

His right hand mirrored the left, and the tips of his fingers touched. 

“Me.” 

Both thumbs came down and formed a horizontal line between his palms. 

“Her.”

Rey’s eyes were watery and bloodshot by the time she’d stopped choking. She reached for her water again, soothing her throat and trying not to laugh at Ben’s obvious embarrassment. 

“Uh, yup. That’s about it,” she confirmed Kylo’s demonstration, clenching her thighs as she wondered just how soon they would actually get to  _ perform _ that position. Just... not in public.

* * *

“Thank you, Kylo, but I could’ve used Google...” 

“You asked!” 

Ben sighed, shaking his head as he tried to ignore Rey’s sputtering over his stupidity. When she calmed down, he looked back at her with a weak smile, silently apologizing until he fixated on her mouth. Kylo hadn’t specified in his demonstration which... _ end _ of her went where. 

He tore his eyes away and tried to distract himself by getting a fresh glass of water. 

_ Damn it Kylo _ , he thought for what had to be the millionth time that week. If his brother hadn’t kissed and stroked and sucked the  _ life _ out of him that morning, maybe he’d have enough energy to entertain thoughts of Rey. As it was, he feared giving her any hints he couldn’t follow up on, whether that was due to soreness or tiredness or just plain  _ nerves _ . 

“Rey’s never been to a theme park before. Did you know?” Kylo mused as he brought his dirty dishes to the sink. “Never been on a rollercoaster. How sad is that!” 

“Are you suggesting we go to Mustafar Park today or....” 

“ _ Yes. _ ”

Taking her finished dishes to the kitchen and popping them into the sink, she said, “As great as that sounds, you guys, I was let out of work early today because my supervisor thought I was sick. If someone recognizes me at a  _ theme park _ and it gets back to him... He’s gonna be royally ticked.” 

Kylo huffed at that, wrapping his arms around her and giving his best puppy-dog eyes. “If it’s a work day, who’s going to recognize you at a theme park except someone who’s also playing hooky? Come on, it’s New York, not some tiny town with a population of fifty...” 

Rey shook her head at Kylo, grinning at his expression and taking the opportunity of closeness to wrap her arms around him as well. “It just takes one person, Kylo, and my ass is grass. How about we all watch a movie or show tonight, and hit the park another time?”

“My hangover votes yes on staying in,” Ben said. His headache had gone away thanks to hydration and caffeine, but what little energy he’d had before had been literally sucked out of him. 

Rey’s grin grew wider, and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, I don’t think a hangover and a theme park really mix,” she said. Then, to Kylo, “Looks like you’re outvoted.” 

Leaning up, she placed a kiss on his jaw. “But we’ll go soon. Now, what should we watch?”

Kylo let out a dramatic sigh, slumping his shoulders, though he smiled at Rey’s kiss. His hands clapped together at her question and he rushed into the living room. 

“I know!” 

“We’re  _ not _ watching porn, Kylo,” Ben deadpanned as he followed him, finding his twin digging through a case of DVDs. Kylo shot him a glare. 

“It’s not porn! It’s theatre! And since I can’t have my roller coaster today, you guys have to watch this show with me...”

“What show is it?” Rey asked, curious. “Are you in it?”

“Ma-a-aybe....” Kylo replied in a singsong voice, grinning as he finally found his DVD and popped it in. Ben fell back on the couch with a dull sigh. 

“Yay, another episode of the Kylo Show...” 

“Stop being a dick, you’re going to like this!” 

Kylo joined him on the couch, waiting for Rey to come over before pressing ‘play’. The screen was black for several seconds, with only the unintelligible hum of voices as audio. Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Is this a fucking bootleg—“

“Shhhh!” 

Someone breathed against the mic as the camera shakily lifted to a blurry stage. When it finally came into focus though, the vantage point was pretty ideal, captured from the center of maybe the fifth row. 

_ ”September 1st, 1989...dear diary...” _

About two hours later, both Rey and Kylo were clapping their hands as the curtain went down on the stage. 

“That was really good,” Rey commented, watching as all the actors took to the stage for their individual bows before coming together for the group one. She grinned at the look of breathless exhilaration on Kylo’s face. He really  _ did _ belong on the stage. 

Heart swelling with pride, she turned to offer him a big grin. “You were fantastic. I am  _ definitely _ coming to see you live,” she said. Leaning over a bit, she planted a kiss on his cheek. Settling back against the cushions, she reached for Ben’s hand and laced her fingers through his. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Kylo beamed at Rey’s praise.

“I wish you’d told us about this sooner so I could’ve seen you live,” said Ben as his fingers threaded through Rey’s. “Would’ve been better than a shaky bootleg...” 

“Yeah, but this way I got to see your reactions.”

Her eyes felt heavy, but she didn’t really want to leave her place between them just yet. “Should we watch the movie next, then? I kind of want to see how it differs from the play.”

Kylo jumped up in an instant, digging the DVD out from a stack of shooter games and Ben’s boring nature documentaries. 

“If remakes didn’t suck so much, I’d want to star in one for this.” He popped in the disc before squeezing back in beside Rey. “All the drama, none of the dance practice...” 

She cuddled into Kylo’s side as he slung an arm over her shoulder, marveling at how just a few hours and one very intense conversation had brought the ability to touch as openly and intimately as they wanted. And not only for her and him, but Ben now, too.

“If the opportunity ever came along, I vote that you should star in a re-make,” she commented. Even if it wasn’t great, it’d be worth it to see Kylo on the big screen. 

Though Ben agreed Kylo would make an excellent screen actor, with all the vibrant subtleties of his expressions, he didn't dare add to her praise. "Don't stroke his ego too much, it's already too big for his own good." 

"That's not the only thing that's too big--" 

" _ Ugh _ , I know, I regretted it as soon as I said it… Well, if we’re going to watch the same thing twice, I’ll need more coffee...” Ben went to pour himself another cup and returned as the opening credits began. “You know this means we have to watch two things that  _ aren’t _ your choosing after this, right?” 

Kylo nodded without looking away from the screen. “Two things of Rey’s choosing, got it.”

She snorted at the boy’s banter, and gasped in delight when the movie began and she spotted a familiar face. “I had no idea Winona Ryder was in this. I love her! My god, she’s practically a fetus...” 

When the other twin returned to the couch, Rey snagged his hand back. Threading her fingers through his, she placed their connected hands on her lap with a content smile. 

As a whole, Ben found the movie to be more enjoyable. Though he'd lost the novelty of not knowing what was going to happen, and of course, missed Kylo's explosive presence, he didn't miss the song-and-dance numbers. Some of the tunes had been catchy, but the tone just felt  _ off _ for a story about murdering teenagers. 

Then again, maybe he just didn't like musicals and never would. 

He didn't feel Rey's hand go limp until movement flickered in the corner of his eye. Kylo had leaned halfway over her, grinning ear to ear as she exhaled a sleepy, snuffling breath. 

Ben sharply shook his head at him. He didn't know what Kylo was thinking, except that he was about to become an absolute  _ menace _ , like he always did when someone made the mistake of passing out close to him.

Ben half expected him to scuttle off in search of markers or shaving cream. Instead, Kylo's free hand shifted from his knee to hers, fingertips dancing over the soft, freckled skin. He flashed another smile at Ben before his touch crept higher up her thigh. 

"I had these pretty legs wrapped around me less than 24 hours ago, you know," he whispered as Ben scowled in silence, trying to smack his hand away without waking Rey. "She has pictures to prove it." 

When Ben rolled his eyes, clearly not believing him, Kylo raised a brow and gestured behind him towards her room. "Her camera's in there. Want me to get it?" 

His jaw set and he almost shook his head again before giving the question deeper thought. Which was worse, an invasion of privacy or pawing at a girl in her sleep? Kylo could only commit one sin at a time...usually. Plus, if such pictures really  _ did _ exist, Ben wanted to see them. And know why they were taken. 

Kylo only needed him to hesitate long enough to know his answer wasn't 'no'. In a flash, he was on his feet and in Rey's room, leaving Ben alone with her at last. 

"Sorry he's such an asshole," he whispered, though she couldn't hear. He'd  _ never _ act like such a creep if it were just him and her.

The AC kicked on, and a breeze blew a lock of her hair against his cheek. His eyes fluttered as he caught a whiff of coconut and vanilla.  _ Mmm... _ That was certainly more tempting than Kylo's lazy-ass, 3-in-1 shampoo/conditioner/body wash. He leaned his head slightly against hers, pressing his nose against her hair with a deep inhale. 

Of course Kylo had to round the couch right in that moment. Ben flinched away from Rey, but didn't let go of her hand as Kylo judged him with a silent smirk. After a moment, he dangled the camera in the air. 

This was a bad idea. Even so, Ben nodded, and Kylo powered on the camera with a small  _ beep _ .

Her lashes fluttered.  _ That _ was a noise that had her trained like Pavlov’s dog. “Mmm... pictures?” she mumbled, just barely conscious.

Both twins froze. Kylo stood there, grasping the camera with a tight smile, as Ben scrambled for an explanation. 

"No, we're not taking pictures, we're uh...I mean...Kylo said you took pictures with  _ him _ the other day, and I just wanted to see..." 

He held his breath as he watched her hooded eyes, hoping if she did wake up fully, she'd only be angry with Kylo.

Kylo sighed, resigned to the fact that she was awake, and would lecture him about going through her things without permission—even though her camera contained pictures of  _ him _ , and therefore he could claim some ownership....

“Mmmmmh... mmmkay...” But then she snuggled back into Ben’s chest like a kitten, eyes closed and expression content. Asleep again. 

Ben stroked the top of her head with gentle fingers and a serene smile before Kylo waved the camera again. When Ben nodded, he clicked through the photos, finding the first one of him and Rey in the park. 

“I’m not seeing legs wrapped around anything.” Ben breathed in less than a whisper as Kylo settled in on the other side of the couch. “Why did she take these anyway?” 

“Photography project...she’s really passionate about it...but in yesterday’s case, I think she just wanted an excuse to do this.” Kylo’s smirk reached his eyes when he finally got to the one where she used his tie as a leash. 

“Hm...good lighting,” Ben muttered, though his eyes shifted back to Rey curled up on his chest. Why hadn’t she taken him instead? Oh, right, he’d been at work. And sulking. Not a very attractive subject.

“I was her demon.” Kylo looked through the camera lens, turning it on Ben for a second, then Rey. “Or wolf, or something. I think she was going for a Little Red theme, except she was in yellow...I don’t know what the trope was exactly, but she was subverting it...hm. This is actually a pretty good pose right here...” 

Before Ben could open his mouth, Kylo snapped a picture of Rey. Somehow, by the mercy of some deity, the flash wasn’t on. 

“She’s so adorable...” Kylo crooned, then raised the camera a bit. “Come on, Ben, smile...” 

“I can’t believe you, of all people, are telling me to smile...” He had to wake her up, she’d be so embarrassed. Not that she was naked, or drooling, or anything like that, but she was  _ asleep _ . He’d hate it if someone photographed him sleeping. But then again, he wasn’t as pretty as her. “Okay, fine, just one. But you have to delete it before she wakes up.” 

“Mmhm, sure. Say ‘seitan’.”

“Okay, okay, playtime’s over,” Ben whispered after humoring Kylo through one last picture. He hated to pull away from Rey, but her weight on his arm had left it cold and prickly. Carefully squeezing out from under her, he slowly lowered her head and shoulder to rest at the corner of the couch, then shook out his sleepy limbs. 

“You’re going to delete those, right?” he asked with narrowed eyes as Kylo flipped through the camera reel. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah, yeah....” Kylo nodded loosely, not looking up from the screen as he strode towards his bedroom. “Just looking at everything she’s got on here so far...she’s got a real eye for detail...” 

Ben pursed his lips, knowing damn well Kylo wasn’t going to do as he asked. He’d just have to get his hands on that camera before Rey did. If he failed, though, he hoped she’d be more angry with her pervy photographer than with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any Heather enthusiasts who would die to see Kylo Ren play JD please raise your hands!


	10. [Search: Mustafar Theme Park]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pure filth ahead. Enjoy!

Stepping through the door of the flat, Rey sighed in relief as the biting cold air conditioning caressed her heated skin. Mustafar Park had been exciting, and so much fun, but _ hot. Ridiculously hot. _

It would be just their luck that the three of them would finally put aside time to go to the theme park during the most intense heat wave the city had faced in years.

“Well, that was fun,” Ben commented wryly, walking through the door with a grunt of appreciation, dropping his keys and wallet onto the counter.

“Well, someone pussied out after a single ride, so I wouldn’t say all of us had a _ fun _ day,” Kylo returned, heading over to the couch and flopping on it with a long, drawn out groan.

Ben shot him a glare, but said nothing, taking a long sip from a water bottle he fished out of the fridge.

Rey snorted inelegantly at Kylo’s quip. She glanced over to Ben in time to catch the glare he sent to his brother, biting her lip to stifle a laugh. 

“Well I had a great time, even on the _ pussy _ rides,” she commented. Her eyes lingered on Ben a moment, fixing on the arch of his neck as he tipped his head back to drink. 

Taking a swig of her own icy water, she pressed the bottle against the back of her neck to help cool her down as she cast her eyes around the room. “How about I order us an extra large pizza — no, let’s make it two— with garlic knots and a 2-liter Coke and we take a break?”

Kylo snorted. “You mean one extra large pizza for you and one for me and Ben?” he asked, brushing away the lock of hair sticking to his forehead. 

“Sounds about right,” his twin muttered in agreement as he passed by, giving Rey a teasing look. “We’ll have to eat fast, or we might not get any of it...”

“Fine! Point taken! We’ll get three extra large pizzas,” she quipped.

“I’ll order it,” Ben said with a chuckle, pulling out his phone. “What kind do you want?”

“Just the usual— extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, and olives,” she responded. 

Heading into the kitchen, she grabbed a couple washcloths. After wetting them under cold water, she took them over to the boys. Reaching up on her tiptoes, she placed one rag around the back of Ben’s neck, her lips quirking at his surprised gasp and the sight of the bright, cheery yellow contrasted against his dark hair. 

She came around the back of the sofa and did the same for Kylo, quirking a brow as she leaned over his shoulder. “Wow, Kylo, you’re as red as a tomato. Are you sure you’re okay? I told you to put on sunscreen.”

Kylo pulled her down to plant a kiss on her cheek. “I’m fine, but your concern is adorable.” 

Cheeks flushing, she grinned at him, her gaze softening as it lingered. Then she followed where his attention was drawn, and felt her mouth suddenly go dry as she spotted Ben, taking off his shirt. No matter how many times she had seen them both bare already, there was something about him....sweaty, with recently worked muscles rippling. 

“I’m going to take a shower,” he announced to them once he’d completed the order on his phone. “Care to join me?”

“Yes, actually,” she responded with a smirk of her own, eyes glinting. “A shower sounds perfect.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kylo said, a cheshire grin curling his lips. Hopping up, he sped over to the shower, likely eager to claim the best spot under the spray.

An excited glint appearing in her eyes, she reached out her hand and threaded her fingers with Ben’s. Stepping close to him, she went up on her tip-toes so she could press an affectionate kiss to the edge of his jaw. A grin appeared on his lips, and he gave her a squeeze. Tugging on his hand, she led the way into the bathroom where the steam was already creating a warm fog.

Once they entered the bathroom, Kylo peeked out from the curtain to grin in their direction. “Glad you could join me.”

Grin curling her lips to match the twin’s own, she squeezed Ben’s hand once again before letting go. “I can’t have you using up all the hot water, now can I? We’re going to have to share.” 

Grabbing her shirt, she pulled it over her head without much flair, revealing a grey sports bra that was discarded similarly. Shimmying out of her shorts, she turned back to Ben. She hooked her thumbs under her panties at either side of her waist, but didn’t pull them down.

“Would you like to?” she asked instead, having come to learn early on that the boys tended to enjoy undressing her themselves. 

Grinning, he nodded quickly and wasted no time rushing to her aid.

Teeth sinking sharply into her bottom lip, her gaze was heated as she watched Ben kneel before her, taking her panties with him. She idly wondered if every time is going to feel like this with them— heady, her senses hyper aware of every touch... She ran her fingers through his hair as he pressed a kissed to her thigh, her smile unwavering. 

While Ben was distracted with undressing himself, and Rey was distracted watching him, Kylo reached out, snatching her by the arm and tugging her into the shower. She made a noise of surprise as she stumbled back into a very wet, warm, and naked Kylo. 

“Always so impatient—“ she chastised, but he cut her off with a kiss. His arms pulled her wet body tightly against his. Impatient was an understatement.

Lifting one arm to his waist, she punished Kylo for his impertinence with her teeth, nipping at his lower lip. He gasped against her mouth, then growled, pulling her even harder against him.

His hand slipped down between them to her center, fingers lightly stroking her folds. Gasping softly, she bucked against Kylo’s hand, rolling her hips, craving the feeling of skin against skin.

Chuckling at the display, Ben finally shed the last of his clothes and stepped into the shower. His fingers skimmed slowly down her back, then up again to shift her hair to one side, exposing her neck for him to kiss.

Muscles relaxing as if commanded, she softened under Ben’s attention. Reaching her other hand around, she passed her fingers over his hipbone before traveling lower, smile dancing over her lips as she skimmed her fingers over his growing hardness. Ben's lips, which had been moving over her neck, paused at her teasing touch. His grip tightened just above her hips as he pushed forward against her hand, biting down softly on her shoulder to muffle a groan, which she answered with a choked groan. Tongue moving languidly against Kylo’s, she gripped Ben’s cock in her hand and began stroking him. Heat, molten and addictive, was pooling in her abdomen, spurred on by Kylo’s fingers exploring her. Seeking out Kylo’s cock, she took him in hand, stroking both men in tandem.

Smirking against her lips, Kylo kept up the slow, teasing rhythm of his fingers barely brushing against her. He was always impatient when it came to getting her naked, but he’s good at holding off during the act, knowing how it would pay off in the end. Pulling away momentarily, his glassy eyes watched her hand work over him, kiss-swollen lips parted and quivering. 

Ben’s hands moved to cover her breasts, cupping them in his palms. A soft moan of approval passed her lips, head tilted to allow him more access to her neck. Her pace on their cocks faltered for a moment as the sensation of Ben’s mouth suckling at her skin coupled with Kylo’s finger entering her. A moan escaped her, followed by a murmur, “You two... drive me crazy...” Both twins swelled at the same time in response, Ben groaning into her ear.

Kylo thrusted into her hand impatiently, demanding more friction as he curled his fingers deep inside her heat. She focused her mind back on keeping her pace steady, stroking them with a firmer grip.

“You...drive us even crazier....” Breathing the words harshly against her ear, Ben gave her breasts another squeeze before his fingers brushed over her nipples, gently toying with them.

It felt so good; Kylo’s skillful fingers inside of her and Ben’s playful teasing. Their stiffness in her hands. All accompanied by the warm spray of the shower. A soft moan escaped Ben as her pace began picking up, hips pushing forward slightly as one hand broke away from her chest to drag down her side then back up to her throat. Holding her there, he pressed open mouthed kisses against the side of her neck. Her breath hitched as his fingers flexed, heart stuttering.

Upon seeing Ben’s focus had shifted, leaving one breast unattended, Kylo bent to one knee to take the neglected peak into his mouth. She arched her back into his mouth, a needy whine escaping her. Eyes closed, he gently nipped at her skin as his fingers continued flexing and curling inside her. 

“Please... I want... now...” she can barely formulate a sentence; her mind lost somewhere in the stratosphere.

“You want what, now?” Ben whispered against her throat before giving it a little nip, his hips grinding up against her ass. Kylo’s teeth scraped lightly against her nipple as he pulled back to voice his agreement. 

“You have to tell us, Rey....all the details...” His fingers flexed inside her, thumb rubbing firm circles over her clit for a few seconds at a time before abruptly slowing down, never letting her quite reach her breaking point.

“I want you inside of me. One of you, or both of you, I don’t care anymore. I just... I need more... more than...” biting at her bottom lip, she rolled her hips harshly against Kylo’s hand with a high-pitched whine.

Straightening up, Rey blinked blearily as Kylo looked over her shoulder towards Ben, lips curled in a wicked smirk. Neither had to ask to know what he was thinking. B_oth of you_ option, then.

As Kylo pulled his fingers free from her pussy, bringing them up to his lips to taste, Ben fell back against the wall of the shower to steady himself, pulling her along with him. His lips pressed against her temple, cheek, and neck in a series of affectionate kisses. She nuzzled at his neck, and his head leaned back to allow her access. She lavished his neck in kisses, sucks, and bites.

Kylo’s body pressed hard against her, hand wrapped around his cock to slide it teasingly against her folds. She gasped a high-pitched moan and then Ben, too, was prodding at her entrance. 

Reaching up, she wrapped both her arms behind Ben’s neck and hugged him close, and as soon as her lips were away from Ben, Kylo took his chance to kiss her hard, his length pushing insistently until he was the first to penetrate her. The low groan that rose up from his chest at her tightness only grew louder as Ben’s cock slid alongside his before resting fully inside her. 

She bit down harshly on Kylo’s bottom lip, and he sucked in a sharp breath at the sudden mixture of pleasure and pain, growling against her lips as he thrust deeper. 

Ben’s eyes fluttered closed and his forehead rested against Rey’s shoulder as he moaned softly in her ear. His arms slid against Kylo’s as they wrapped around her middle, holding her securely. She could do nothing but take them as they moved inside of her. Body going completely lax, she gave into the sensations; the slickness of the chests trapping her between them, the warm spray of the shower, the friction and stretch of their cocks dragging against her walls.

The first time that they had done this had gone surprisingly smoothly. They had both worked to prepare her well; multiple orgasms before they entered her had definitely ensured that she was was boneless and ready. This had quickly become their favorite position; there was no jealousy to be had when they shared her body, and the intimacy of their cocks sliding against each other was like nothing the twins had shared before. 

As they adjusted slightly, she gasped and fluttered around them. Both their hips bucked at the sudden flutter of tightness, leaving them hissing and groaning with pleasure as they sharply slid against each other. Whimpering, she forced her body to relax once again. 

“Ah, please... so good...” Her fingers found their way into Kylo’s hair, tugging harshly. He obliged her silent request with a brutal kiss, letting Ben take over for a moment.

She could tell they were both reaching their breaking point, but they never gave up until she finished at least once. After tasting her lips and devouring her tongue, Kylo picked up his pace again, pumping into her with the same fervor as his brother.

“Oh... ah...! F-fuck!” Shuddering, she leaned her head back and pressed a kiss to Ben’s jaw. Ben leaned into the soft touch of her mouth, hips slapping against hers. She could feel her pleasure mounting; and it was almost too much to bear. Fingers digging in, her jaw dropped in a silent scream as her orgasm took her over all at once.

Ben’s lips parted in an unrestrained moan as she fluttered and pushed around them. He and Kylo had similar, pained expressions yet neither wanted the moment to end. Like every time before, feeling her come on both of their cocks was the sweetest pain, triggering a white-hot rush of ecstasy. Kylo bit down on her shoulder hard as he spilled inside her. Ben’s eyes rolled back, legs trembling as he struggled to keep himself standing until the last wave finally passed.

After tensing every muscle in her body, she relaxed fully against them. Her chest was heaving quick gasps. Leaning against the wall, Ben had the easiest time staying on his feet, and held her securely against him as he felt her start to slip. Kylo was still heaving as he laid against her, holding himself up on the shower door with one shaking arm. Eventually, the dizzying fog of post orgasmic bliss lifted, and they carefully pulled out with satisfied groans.

Just they were settling into the afterglow, the doorbell rang through it the entire apartment. “Shit... The pizza.” She groaned, her head thumping back against Ben’s shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Jessica here! Julia and I really hope you enjoyed this fun little story of ours. Thank you again for your patience with us getting it out. Feel free to check out our other story, Long Lost, for more Breylo goodness!


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